What is Histamine Release?

@JaneAir - Yeah, allergy symptoms basically happen when the body releases histamine during inflammatory reactions. However, knowing what's happening doesn't make it any easier!

Oh, I also wanted to add that there are a few antihistamines a lot of people don't know about. I had a really severe allergic reaction a few years ago, so my doctor had me on two different antihistamines. One was Zyrtec, which most people do know about. It's available over the counter in the allergy section, clearly labeled as being for allergies.

However, the other was Zantac. Yep, you read that right. It's an antacid, but it's also another kind of antihistamine. So if you find that "traditional" antihistamines aren't doing the trick, try adding Zantac to the mix. Just take them a few hours apart.

@strawCake - Yes, thank goodness for antihistamines. I have a ton of allergies too, to both indoor and outdoor allergens. I don't know where I'd be without non-drowsy antihistamines!

Since I have allergies, I've always been kind of fascinated by histamine release causes. To simplify it by a lot, histamine release is basically the body attacking itself. It's an immune response directed inwards that can have disastrous consequences. As we're all aware, allergy symptoms can be anything from a little bit of sneezing to anaphylactic shock!

@kylee07drg - I am an asthmatic also, and I think the machine you're referring to is a nebulizer. It works really well, especially for children. The nebulizer is pretty much fool proof and allows the medication to get into your system a lot faster than a regular inhaler.

Anyway, I'm not surprised that histamine release is related to both allergies and asthma. I have both, and in fact my asthma is often allergy induced. I know a lot of other people who have both asthma and allergies as well.

But no matter what causes histamine release (asthma or allergies) it's never pleasant. That's why I'm glad they invented antihistamines!

I did not know until last summer that a dog could have an allergic reaction to a sting or a bite. My Doberman had been sniffing in the azalea bush when she suddenly jumped back, startled. She started sneezing, but then, she seemed fine. I assumed that something had bitten her, but I wasn't worried about it.

About an hour later, I noticed that her nose had begun to swell. I called my sister, who is a vet technician, and she said to give her two of my antihistamine pills. I gave her the maximum dose, but her face continued to swell.

Finally, her throat started to swell, and she had trouble breathing. Then, we rushed her to the vet, where she received a steroid shot and a week's worth of steroid pills. It took several days for the swelling to go away completely, but right after she received the shot, it went down enough for her to breathe safely.

Our vet gave us a syringe full of steroids to use in case that ever happened again. We don't know what type of insect or animal bit her, but it could very well do it again sometime.

@shell4life – I take antihistamines daily, also. My allergies are not as bad as yours, but I did have a horrible allergic fit one time after mowing the yard. My histamines were released with a fury, and the consequences went on for hours.

I mowed over a couple of ant hills, and the dirt went flying up into the air and into my lungs. It didn't help that pollen was present on the blades of grass and weeds at the time, so it also got shot up into my face.

I sneezed more that day than I ever have before. My eyes were a fountain, and my chest rattled with every breath. I kept coughing up phlegm that had not been there an hour before.

I kept popping a couple of four-hour antihistamines at a time. My symptoms persisted, but I think if I hadn't used the antihistamines, my reaction would have been even worse. It took about seven hours for the symptoms to subside.

My friend's young daughter has asthma, and her histamine release symptoms are quite scary. She begins wheezing, and she cannot seem to catch her breath. It can become life threatening quickly.

After several trips to the emergency room, her doctor gave her a breathing treatment machine to use at home. It converts liquid asthma medicine into a misty substance that she can breathe in through a mask.

That machine has been a lifesaver. This child seems to have asthmatic reactions to everything from mold to cigarette smoke, so her mom keeps the machine with them at all times.

Anyone who suffers from seasonal allergies deals with an excess of histamine release quite a bit. I take antihistamines every day to control mine, and though they do help, they only work to a certain degree.

During springtime, when pollen floats about and covers every exposed surface, I will be sneezing and dealing with watery eyes and a runny nose, no matter how much medication I take. Every morning, I swallow an antihistamine that is supposed to work for twenty-four hours, and though I can tell a difference between how I react without it and how I'm doing now, I still have to deal with allergy symptoms.

In the fall and winter, when allergens have died down, my preventive antihistamine works great. It helps control my mild allergies to my dogs, and I can function normally.