In September we not only welcome spring and warmer days, but also the allergies and its effects on our body.
Thanks to the flowering process of many trees and the increase in pollen levels, among others, the load of allergens in the air increases considerably, causing many to begin to feel the annoying symptoms of seasonal allergies.
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Paula Molinaa pharmaceutical chemist at Farmacias Ahumada, comments that allergies are an exacerbated response of the immune system against external agents that are harmless to the rest of the population and that are present on a daily basis, such as pollen, dust or some mites.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) places allergies as the fourth most important disease in the world, affecting more than 300 million people, 20% of the world population.
“Due to environmental conditions, at this time the consumption of medications that relieve the symptoms presented by allergies increases, but care must be taken with self-medication, since its abuse or improper use could mean significant risks, especially in people with chronic diseases or who take other medications on a regular basis”, indicates Molina.
One of the most used drugs are antihistamineswhich inhibit or block the histamine (a signaling molecule responsible for allergic symptoms when there is an excess in the system), helping with the management of nasal congestion, sneezing, itching and swelling of the nasal passages.
However, the classics or first generation like the chlorphenamine and the diphenhydramineThey also have sedative effects, so they directly affect sleep and wake states.
In adequate doses, cause drowsiness and decreased concentrationbeing able to be a risk when driving or performing tasks that require a high concentration.
“They also have an anticholinergic effect, intervening in the balance of the central nervous system, which can cause tachycardia, palpitations, cardiac arrhythmias, hallucinations, headaches, agitation, nervousness, tremors, vision difficulties and seizures, along with others such as erectile dysfunction, constipation and even urinary retention”, adds the pharmacist.
In this sense, patients with diabetes, epilepsy, prostate problems, hypertension, glaucoma, heart disease, thyroid problems or those who consume drugs that are metabolized in the liver (such as anti-inflammatories) should take special care when taking these anti-allergics, «not only because of the side effects they cause, especially if done indiscriminately, but also because of the interactions that may occur with the drugs used to control their pathologies ”, he argues.
In turn, second-generation antihistamines such as desloratadine, loratadine, or fexofenadine, they are safer because they produce fewer adverse effects in the waking state, but -in the same way- they generate adverse effects and drug interactions, although to a lesser extent.
As the Mayo Clinic points out, combination with alcohol, antidepressants or barbiturates with antihistamines could severely affect the central nervous system, being able to provoke a life-threatening collapse.
For this reason, it is essential to call against self-medication and the excessive consumption of these substances or without the supervision of a doctor. «Medicines of this type are formulated to relieve allergy symptoms, not to complicate or generate greater problems in our body,» concluded the pharmacist.