Anti-allergic for hay fever

The term antiallergic includes various drugs that are effective for allergy symptoms. These include mast cell stabilizers, antihistaminesand preparations containing cortisone-like agents. They all address different development processes of an allergy and can usually reduce symptoms within a short period of time.

For hay fever antiallergic drugs are predominantly used as antiallergic nasal spray or antiallergic eye drops as they provide quick relief when used locally. For systemic use, there are also tablets that not only specifically reduce the discomfort in the nose and eyes, but also combat general malaise and fatigue caused by the allergy. If redness and itching also occur on the skin, the active ingredients are also available as an ointment that is applied to the affected areas of the skin.

Three groups of active ingredients are predominantly used in the fight against hay fever. The drugs are available over the counter in pharmacies or can be prescribed by a doctor:

• Antihistamines: In a allergic reaction the body releases the messenger substance histamine, which leads to the typical hay fever symptoms. The binding of histamine to special receptors on the cell surface triggers, for example, rhinitis or sneezing. So-called antihistamines weaken the effect of histamine by blocking these receptors. This stops the allergic reaction and acute symptoms subside. Antihistamines, for example with the active ingredient azelastine in Pollival® Nasal Spray and Pollival® Eye Drops, are the remedy of choice if you have already arrived in the middle of hay fever and hardly know where your head is at because of sneezing or reddened eyes.
• Mast cell stabilizers: Who wants to prepare the body early for the pollen season, can use nasal sprays and eye drops with so-called mast cell stabilizers. They help best if they are used regularly at the very beginning of the pollen season, because they stabilize the mast cells and thus reduce the release of histamine. Mast cell stabilizers provide basic protection, so to speak, to prevent the symptoms from reaching their peak in the first place. The active ingredient cromoglicic acid, which is contained in Pollicrom® Nasal Spray and Pollicrom® Eye Drops has proven effective. A look at the pollen calendar will show you when you should start treatment.
• Cortisone: Medications with active ingredients similar to cortisone suppress the allergic reaction and have an anti-inflammatory effect at the same time. They are predominantly used for severe hay fever and usually require a prescription.

It is important that the medications of choice are free of preservatives . This is because such additives can irritate mucous membranes and promote the development of allergies.

In the past, antihistamines had the bad reputation of making tired and weary. Allergy sufferers had the choice between the adverse effects of pollen allergy or the side effects of antihistamines. However, the fatigue-makers mainly include first-generation agents. The newer second-generation antihistamines are generally well tolerated and neither make people excessively tired nor restrict them in their daily lives. These include active ingredients such as azelastine and levocabastine, which are usually offered as nasal sprays and eye drops. This dosage form makes them generally well tolerated and particularly effective, since they are used directly at the problem area.

Before you take antihistamine tablets, inform yourself exactly about possible side effects. But also for systemic use there are now well-tolerated preparations with active ingredients such as loratadine, desloratadine or cetirizine, which bring you through the pollen season without major restrictions.

Who would nevertheless prefer to do without an antihistamine, can resort to preparations with the mast cell stabilizer cromoglicic acid. However, this should be used before acute allergy symptoms occur, as its mode of action sets in earlier, even before the body overreacts to pollen and releases histamine.