H1 antagonist
noun
variants
or H1 receptor antagonist
also H1 blocker
: any of numerous drugs (such as fexofenadine or loratadine) that bind competitively with histamine to H1 receptors on cell membranes and are used to relieve allergic symptoms and variously as sedatives, antiemetics, and anticholinergics
H1 antagonists prevent and relieve the sneezing, nasal and ocular itching, rhinorrhea, tearing, and conjunctival erythema of the early allergic response to antigen, but they are less effective for the nasal blockage characteristic of the late allergic reaction.—
F. Estelle R. Simons and Keith J. Simons, The New England Journal of Medicine
F. Estelle R. Simons and Keith J. Simons, The New England Journal of MedicineCite this Entry
“H1 antagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/H1%20antagonist. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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