Decongestant Vs. Antihistamine

There are several conditions associated with upper respiratory system (that is, nose, mouth and throat) where different types of, over the counter, decongestants and antihistamines are used. The common problems that affect the nose, mouth and throat are cold and flu during winter, seasonal allergies and hay fever of spring and summer and so on. These conditions give rise to various uncomfortable symptoms like strep throat, nasal congestion, excessive sneezing, cough, itchy and watery eyes, etc. These symptoms are triggered mainly, either due to swelling of the blood vessels inside the nasal cavity, or release of the histamine. It is an antibody, which is basically a chemical. Symptoms like stuffy nose can be treated by both the medicines. However, they are not the same kind of medicines and will have a different effect on the symptoms.

Decongestant Vs Antihistamine

The distinguishable points of difference of antihistamine vs decongestant are as follows:

Antihistamine

• Histamine is an antibody which, when released, tend to widen up the small blood vessels of the eyes, nose and skin. As a result, symptoms like itchy red skin, runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes show up. In this condition, if antihistamines are administered then it blocks production of the histamines into the body. Thus, it gives substantial relief from symptoms like sneezing, nasal discharge, itching, nasal congestion, weepy eyes and more. For faster allergy relief, antihistamines should be taken before the onset of the symptoms.
• The most commonly used first generation antihistamines are diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine. Today, there are some more second generation antihistamines available like loratadine, fexofenadine, and cetriizine which have more improved quality.
• Antihistamine side effects involve dizziness and drowsiness. Hence, it should be avoided in the daytime or before doing any such work that requires mental alertness like driving or operating heavy machines. The best time to take antihistamines is before going to bed at night.
• Those who are already taking medicines like antidepressants, sedatives or tranquilizers should avoid antihistamines. This is because the combined effect of these medicines can have an adverse effect on the health.

Decongestant

• The blood vessels that are present in the membranes of the nasal passage have the capacity to expand when they come in contact with virus or allergens. During a sinus infection or common cold, they undergo expansion, producing large amount of fluid and mucus. This results in fullness and congestion in the nose that makes breathing difficult. In this condition, the decongestant helps in reducing the swelling and narrowing down of the dilated blood vessels. Thus, the air passage opens up and brings about improvement in the airflow through it.
• Earlier, Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) was popularly used decongestants but now it is avoided due to health risk involved with it. Now, pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are the two most commonly used decongestants.
• Decongestants act as stimulants and increases the pulse rate which makes it difficult to fall asleep. Hence, it should be taken during the day time and avoid taking them before going to bed.
• As constriction of blood vessels occur due to intake of decongestants, it should be avoided by people with high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid problems or glaucoma.

Hope, this article on decongestant vs antihistamine have given you a fair idea, on how these two medicines work differently. Finally, I would like to caution you that neither of these, over the counter, medicines should be used for a long time. In case, the symptoms last longer than just few days then visit a doctor for further treatment. Moreover, those who have pre-existing medical problems should also consult their doctor before taking these medicines.