The substance histamine - what is it?

Many of us know that with allergies the patient is prescribed drugs that must eliminate the effect of such a substance as histamine. What it is? This is one of the neurotransmitters (mediators) that regulate important functions of the human body. Histamine is localized in all cells of the body and is inactive under normal conditions. When the allergen penetrates, it activates and releases into the blood in a large volume. Each person has different amounts of this substance.

How to determine the level of histamine?

To know the approximate content of this substance in the body, you can pass a simple test. For this, it is necessary to slightly scratch the hand from the elbow to the wrist. After a while, the scratch will turn red. This indicates that histamine enters the damaged area, which contributes to the elimination of inflammation. The more redness and swelling, the higher the amount of histamine in the body. If the skin changes are significant and do not disappear for a long time, then the person has an elevated histamine.

Its concentration must be reduced, since a high level of this substance in the blood can provoke anaphylactic shock. This can be done with the help of a timely injection of adrenaline.

Histamine - what is it, and how to reduce its concentration in the body?

In order for the body to eliminate unwanted properties of inflammation, it is necessary to lower the concentration of histamine in the blood. This can be done with a certain diet, excluding foods with an increased content of this substance, such as:

• Alcoholic beverages (in particular, red wine);
• Smoked products;
• cheese;
• yeast;
• seafood;
• Cocoa, coffee;
• Pickled vegetables and fruits;
• Wheat flour;
• citrus.

The following products are allowed:

• Milk, cottage cheese;
• bread;
• oat flakes;
• Sugar, vegetable oils;
• fresh meat;
• Vegetables, except for tomatoes, spinach, cabbage, pumpkin, eggplant.

Histamine as a medicine

So, we learned a lot about histamine: what it is and what role it plays in the human body. But it turns out that this substance can be a medicine. Indications for its use may be polyarthritis, migraine, muscle and articular rheumatism, radiculitis, allergic reactions. In the latter case, the dose of histamine is gradually increased, thereby trying to achieve a more stable state of the organism to various manifestations of allergy. However, there are a number of contraindications to the use of this substance, they include:

• Heart disease;
• Dystonia;
• Hypotension;
• Hypertension;
• Respiratory tract diseases;
• Impaired renal function;
• Pheochromocytoma;
• pregnancy;
• Lactation period.

Admission of histamine can cause such side effects as severe continuous headache, dizziness, fainting, cyanosis, diarrhea, convulsions, tachycardia, nervousness, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, a sharp drop in blood pressure, stomach cramps, redness of the skin of the face, metallic taste in Mouth, blurred vision, pain in the chest, swelling of the injection site.

We hope that now you know the answer to the question: "Histamine - what is it?"