Which type of medication is primarily used to treat allergies by blocking histamine receptors?

Antihistamines are medications specifically designed to counteract the effects of histamine, a substance in the body that plays a major role in allergic reactions. When an allergen is encountered, histamine is released, leading to symptoms such as itchiness, sneezing, and runny nose. Antihistamines work by blocking the H1 histamine receptors, thereby preventing histamine from exerting its effects and alleviating these allergy symptoms.

While anxiolytics are primarily used to treat anxiety disorders, and analgesics are intended for pain relief, these classes of medications do not address allergic reactions or their symptoms. Corticosteroids, on the other hand, can reduce inflammation and modify the immune response, which may indirectly help in severe allergic reactions, but they do not act by blocking histamine receptors specifically. Therefore, antihistamines are the most direct and effective choice for treating allergic symptoms by inhibiting the action of histamine at its receptors.