Doctors have long used allergy shots to desensitize people to allergens that cause reactions such as hay fever and asthma. These work reasonably well, but they aren’t always convenient.
A new study suggests that drops taken under the tongue might be a viable alternative. The Johns Hopkins researchers analyzed 63 studies of such allergy drops and found that they could be helpful, especially for people with asthma. In eight of 13 studies focused on asthma, the drops reduced symptoms by at least 40%. The treatments known as sublingual immunotherapy are not approved in the U.S., so most of the studies were conducted in Europe.
The lead researcher Dr. Sandra Lin suggested that having such drops available in the U.S. would mean that people could take their therapy at home or at work instead of going to the doctor’s office for injections.
[JAMA, March 27, 2013]
This new approach is appealing because more conventional treatments for allergies often have uncomfortable or inconvenient side effects.
