Some customers will prefer to use one product to treat all of their hayfever symptoms. Antihistamine tablets and syrups work by blocking the action of histamine, which is one of the chemicals released when a susceptible person encounters pollen. These products tend to start working quickly and relieve most allergy symptoms. They can be taken as and when sufferers notice symptoms, or on a daily basis.

Oral antihistamines are separated into two groups:

1. Sedating antihistamines:– the most common example is chlorphenamine (e.g. Piriton Allergy Tablets). One of its drawbacks is that it can cause drowsiness. Sedating antihistamines have a shorter duration of action and so need to be taken more frequently (e.g. every four to six hours). However, these products are often more affordable, which can make them more appealing to some customers. As they are sedating, care needs to be taken when recommending these antihistamines as they may not be suitable for all customers.

2. Non-sedating antihistamines:– examples include acrivastine (e.g. Benadryl Allergy Relief), cetirizine (e.g. Benadryl Allergy One A Day, Benadryl Allergy Children’s 1mg/ml Oral Solution, Piriteze Allergy Syrup, Pollenshield Hayfever, Zirtek Allergy) and loratadine (e.g. Clarityn Allergy). Drowsiness is not usually a problem with these products, and they tend to have a longer duration of action so don’t need to be taken as frequently as sedating varieties.