Question

Antihistamines have advantage over antacids in the treatment of acidity.
If true enter 1, else enter 0.

Answer 1

Antacids contain weak bases that neutralize the acid in the stomach by reacting with them chemically to produce salt and water.

However, antacids provide only temporary relief as they act on the symptoms alone and not on the cause of gastritis. Hence, their effect can wear off quickly and they have to be taken continually to obtain relief.

In case of gastritis, the histamines bind to the receptors in the stomach wall and promote acidity.

Antihistamine drugs provide relief from the allergic effects of histamines by attaching themselves to the receptors and thus preventing histamines from binding to receptors present in the stomach wall. Thus, the histamines are prevented from causing chemical reactions resulting in lower acid production and therefore, better treatment.