Which medication improves symptoms by suppressing allergy-related inflammation?

Corticosteroids are a class of medications that effectively reduce inflammation associated with allergic reactions. They work by mimicking the effects of hormones that your body produces naturally in your adrenal glands, which help regulate various functions, including the immune response. By suppressing inflammatory processes in the body, corticosteroids help alleviate symptoms such as swelling, redness, and discomfort that often accompany allergies.

In the context of allergies, these medications can significantly decrease the production of substances like histamines and leukotrienes, which are responsible for inflammatory responses. This results in improved symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and itching, making corticosteroids an important therapeutic option in managing allergic conditions.

Other options, while they play a role in allergy management, function differently. Antihistamines primarily block the effects of histamine, providing symptom relief rather than addressing inflammation directly. Decongestants reduce nasal congestion but do not have anti-inflammatory properties. Epinephrine is primarily used in acute allergic reactions (like anaphylaxis) to quickly reverse severe symptoms but does not suppress inflammation in the same way that corticosteroids do.