The weather this February has been adverse for allergy patients. The good weather in Madrid, with sunnier days than usual for the time of year, has advanced the pollination of some plants such as grasses (February 17: Average levels of grasses, 12 grains/cubic meter). It should also be noted that the concentration of Cupressaceae pollen has skyrocketed , especially on February 4, 14, 22 and 23, a circumstance that caused many patients allergic to these pollens to develop symptoms of allergic rhinitis: naso-ocular itching, sneezing , watery rhinorrhea and Wise Medical Billing .

To deal with rhinitis and other allergic diseases, antihistamines are the first-line pharmacological treatment.

1. Oral antihistamines

Oral antihistamines are very safe (they have few side effects) and at the same time they are very effective in reducing allergy symptoms. They are used in rhinitis and all types of allergic reactions.

• 1st Generation antihistamines, such as Dexchlorpheniramine (Polaramine) or Hydroxyzine (Atarax), are usually relegated for emergencies, as they have more side effects than 2nd Generation antihistamines and cause drowsiness because they alter nighttime sleep. They make you rest worse at night, so they indirectly make you more sleepy during the day. The use of 1st generation antihistamines seeking their sedative effect is not justified since they fragment nighttime sleep, reduce school and work performance, and pose a risk when driving vehicles. If a relaxing effect is desired, the correct thing to do would be to combine the 2nd generation antihistamine, another specific drug to achieve the desired relaxation effect.

• 2nd Generation antihistamines are the most used , they are quite similar to each other in terms of effectiveness and side effects. We will detail some peculiarities of the most used, which can help us opt for one or the other when choosing the treatment to follow.