Allergy > Treating Allergy > Common Vitamins & OTC Products for Food Allergy

Common Vitamins and OTC Products That Could Help With Food Allergies

Allergy is a form of hypersensitivity of the body to harmless substances, considering them as morbid and harmful. In some sources, allergies are considered a disorder of one’s immune system, and it is not normal.

Allergy has a definite pathology with regards to the body processes. When the body is stimulated by dusts, pollens, seafoods, drugs that the cody considers harmful, the realeas of Immunoglobulin E or IgE happens. These immunoglobulins are antibodies that stimulate the body’s defense. When triggered, defense factors invade the site of affectation to allergens, also causing the dilation of blood vessels, allowing increased blood and fluid influx to the site which is the cause of inflammation and irritations. Prostaglandins are also released to the site when tissue is injured causing pain. Sometimes, food allergies does not only cause generalized rashes that usually starts from the trunk, food allergies also cause extreme diarrhea since the intestinal mucosa also considers the ingested food as something alien and harmful that the body should not accommodate, spasms then occur so the intestines would have less absorption of the food, treating it as poison.

Vitamins are highly indicated for hypersensitivity reactions. Multivitamins contain almost all that is needed to combat allergic invasions by strengthening the immune system. The antioxidant trio of Vitamins A, C, and E strengthens the body’s immunity and also has good effects for the proliferation of skin cells in allergic skin sites. B vitamins help in the body’s circulation to allow good transport of nutrients especially to healing allergic cells. Sometimes, skin anomalies are caused by lack of some of the B vitamins like Vit. B12 and B6.  Vitamin D is stimulated though the sun in the form of dihydroxycalciferol useful for skin cell processes. When the body is immunocompromised, vitamin C supplementation is required to further boost the immune system.

Over the counter drugs are also available as allergy treatments. The mechanism of action of these drugs depends on how allergy is stimulated inside the body. When an allergen invades the body, the cells release histamine. All body cells contain histamine especially in organs with numerous basophils and mast cells.  When histamine is released, the normal inflammatory process begins. Antiallergic drugs are antihistamines. They prevent further histamines to attach to different body cells to avoid intense inflammatory reactions.

The most common antihistamines available as OTC is diphenhydramine. Others may include
Brompherniramine (for colds and allergic rhinitis), doxylamine (colds), chlorpheniramine, dimenhydrinate.there are a lot more generic brands available in the market. These are first generation antihistamines. Second generation antihistamines include cetirizxine and loratadine.

Adverse effects of antihistamines are of course present as with any other drug. First generation antihistamines have the common side effect of sleepiness. In post chemotherapy patients, antihistamines are sometimes indicated for them to sleep since it has fewer side effects to organs compared to antianxiety and relaxant drugs. The side effects of these drugs vary in different persons. The side effects tend to affect vulnerable persons such as the sick and the aged persons more than the healthy ones. Anithistamines may also cause dryness of the buccal mucosa, or even the eyes.

Antihistamines may also cause adverse drug interactions with sleeping pills and muscle relaxants. To ensure safety of the medicine, physicians should first be consulted so as to prevent any unexpected anomaly.

A very important consideration in giving antihistamines is that the patient’s safety should be very much ensured. Drowsiness as common side effect of the drugs affects a person’s activities of daily living. When a person is taking antihistamines, he or she should be prohibited of driving or operating machines. Ill persons and the elderly should also be watched upon to avoid falls and other accidents.