Antihistamines are mainly used to help control symptoms of health conditions associated with allergic reactions.
Although antihistamines can't cure these types of conditions because they don't affect the underlying cause, they can often provide considerable symptom relief.
Conditions that can benefit from the use of antihistamines include:
Other uses
As well as being used to treat allergic conditions, antihistamines also have a number of other uses, including treating stomach ulcers (sores that develop on the lining of the stomach) and insomnia (problems falling asleep).
Stomach ulcers
A type of antihistamine, known as a H2-receptor antagonist, is sometimes used to treat stomach ulcers. This is because histamine can also stimulate the production of stomach acid.
H2-receptor antagonists can be used to block the ‘acid-stimulating’ effect of histamine, which helps to reduce the acid level in the stomach and digestive system.
Read more about treating stomach ulcers for more information.
Insomnia
First-generation antihistamines may be of some benefit in the short-term treatment of insomnia, particularly if the symptoms of sleeplessness are caused by an underlying allergic condition, such as an allergic skin condition.
The long-term use of antihistamines to treat insomnia is not recommended because there are more effective treatments. In addition, there's a risk that you could become addicted to the sedating effects of first-generation antihistamines.
Read more about treating insomnia for more information.
