Lorano® is an antiallergic from the class of antihistamines. It contains the active ingredient loratadine, which binds to histamine receptors, and is used primarily for allergic rhinitis such as hay fever or pollen allergies.
Histamine
Histamine is a histamine produced naturally in the body. After its formation from the amino acid histidine, it unfolds its effect in many places in the body. In the stomach, for example, it stimulates the secretion of gastric acid at the cells of the stomach lining.
The bronchial tubes react to histamine with a contraction of their muscles, while the blood vessels, on the other hand, relax their muscles and increase their wall permeability. The brain reacts to histamine with increased alertness as well as increased attention, since histamine acts as a nerve transmitter (neurotransmitter) and establishes the connection between individual nerve cell ends (synapses). To trigger these effects, the messenger substance binds to two different receptors.
These are specialized molecules on or in cells that trigger a further reaction chain when a stimulus is received. The receptors that respond most strongly to histamine are called H1 and H2 receptors, in addition there is also an H3 receptor on nerve cells. If histamine binds to its receptors, many more effects are triggered in addition to the ones mentioned above, since receptors for histamine are found almost everywhere in the body. Histamine also plays an important role in allergic reactions. Therefore, histamine and its sites of action are decisive targets in the treatment of acute allergies.
Active ingredient Loratadine
The active ingredient of Lorano®, loratadine, is a second-generation antihistamine. Antihistamines are substances that block the docking sites (receptors) for histamine and thus prevent the carrier substance from developing its specific effects. The first generation of these substances not only binds to histamine receptors, but also to docking sites for other substances, thus causing more side effects.
First-generation antihistamines can enter the central nervous system and exert their effects. This results in fatigue, drowsiness and limited roadworthiness. Second generation antihistamines have been developed to control these side effects. Although these also reach the central nervous system, they can be removed from there by internal body mechanisms so that the side effects of the first generation do not occur.
