Orange Persimmon Interactive Reporter Wu Shuang Correspondent Lu Qing
Following the hot search of oseltamivir, montmorillonite powder and other drugs, another drug suddenly dropped the hot search yesterday. It's loratadine. Recently, catkins have been flying, and in order to fight allergies, many people have taken loratadine.
What is loratadine? I believe that many "allergic stars" are familiar with this. This is an antihistamine specifically used for allergic rhinitis, acute or chronic urticaria, allergic conjunctivitis, hay fever, and other allergic skin conditions.
Loratadine is popular because it works within half an hour of taking it, relieving the body's allergic reactions immediately. Why does it work?
Wang Huiying, chief physician of the Department of Allergy of the Second Hospital of Zhejiang University, said that when our body has an allergic reaction to allergens (such as pollen, dust mites, etc.), the body will release a chemical called histamine, which binds to specific immune cells and triggers typical allergy symptoms such as itching, runny nose or sneezing. Loratadine acts as an antihistamine and can help the body reduce histamine release, which can alleviate symptoms.
Loratadine does not leave the hand
Don't have to taboo it?
After some netizens saw that loratadine was on the hot search on Weibo, they left a message saying: "My life-saving medicine is on the hot search, and I take loratadine for less than 1,000 yuan every year, and the medicine will not leave my hand." I suddenly decided today that I would not be taboo or pay attention to it in the future, but I would like to see how precious my body is. ”
Director Wang said that the side effects of loratadine are actually very few, and if it is symptomatic, it is no problem to temporarily use it to help relieve symptoms, but it cannot completely block allergies. Contraindication and long-term standardized treatment are carried out for the cause of the disease, which is to fundamentally solve the problem of allergies.
How to choose different antihistamines?
In fact, the development of antihistamines has also undergone some evolution: from first-generation antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine (chlorpheniramine) to second-generation loratadine and cetirizine, and now there is a third-generation fexofenadine. How do allergic people choose the right antihistamine for themselves?
Director Wang said that loratadine and fexofenadine are metabolized by the liver, and cetirizine is metabolized by the kidneys. Cetirizine is recommended if liver function is poor, and loratadine and fexofenadine are recommended if renal function is poor. Different drugs have different adverse reactions, drug conflicts and applicable populations, please follow your doctor's advice on which one to choose.
Many netizens also mentioned that they were very sleepy after taking loratadine, and they felt very sleepy not long after taking it. Do antihistamines have side effects of drowsiness? Director Wang said that whether or not there is a drowsiness reaction depends on individual differences, and each person's situation is different. But it is advisable not to take antihistamines when you are going to drive.
Editor in charge: Yu Qianqian
Review: Feng Yunnong, Xu Fang