Question

Matt W, age 10 years, has just returned from a camping trip with his scout troop. He has a runny nose and itchy eyes and is irritable. The tent was set up in a grassy field, and the boys played several games on the field. Matt’s dad takes him to the local health care center, where a diagnosis of allergy to pollen is made.

The father was anxious about the symptoms and asked for medications, what medications can help in this case, describe the mechanism of action, and any side effects or contraindications.

Answer 1

The medication of choice that would help in this case is Antihistamine, These class of drugs act by blocking the effect of histamine, In any allergic reaction, histamine is released from mast cells in our body, this release of histamine causes the visible symptoms of a localized allergic reaction, including runny nose, watery eyes, constriction of bronchi, and tissue swelling, itchy eyes, etc, this is known as hypersensitivity reaction. Antihistamines counteract the reaction by blocking H1 receptors, so any histamine that is released is not able to reach its target area. The histamine cannot bind with the H1 receptors and so symptoms should be reduced or prevented from occurring.

One of the main side effect of antihistamine is that it causes drowsiness or sleepiness, other side effect include, dry mouth, upset stomach, thickening of mucus, anxiety, nervousness, etc.

Antihistamine is contraindicated in people with overactive thyroid gland, high blood pressure, glacumo, prostrate problems, etc.