Allergy & Upper Airway
Antihistamines and allergic rhinitis, anaphylaxis, and the drugs for cough, cold and mucus.
Antihistamines: Why the New Ones Don't Make You Sleepy
Antihistamines treat the sneezing, itching and runny nose of allergy by blocking histamine, the chemical behind an allergic reaction. The whole story turns on one elegant idea from the CNS chapter — whether or not the drug crosses into the brain — which explains why the old ones knock you out and the new ones don't, and why an 'allergy pill' doubles as a sleep aid and a travel-sickness remedy.
Anaphylaxis: Why Adrenaline Is the One Drug That Saves a Life
Anaphylaxis is allergy at its most extreme and most deadly — a whole-body reaction that can close the airway and collapse the circulation within minutes. There is exactly one drug that treats it, given without hesitation: adrenaline. Understanding why adrenaline, and why immediately, is knowledge that genuinely saves lives.
Cough, Cold & Mucus: What's in the Bottle, and What Actually Helps
The pharmacy shelf of cough and cold remedies is a jumble of names — suppressants, expectorants, decongestants, mucolytics. Most people have no idea which does what, and the honest truth is that many barely work. But the pharmacology is simple and worth knowing, including one genuine trap: a nasal spray that makes congestion worse the longer you use it.
