Source: USA TODAY
Itching for allergy relief?
Under-the-tongue drops instead of allergy shots may be a good option for some patients who suffer from allergies and allergic asthma, according to a new analysis. The report will be published online Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore looked at studies in which researchers put small amounts of an inhaled allergen, such as mold and pollen, in liquid drops under the tongue. The review found that such drop therapy is a safe and effective alternative to a weekly allergy shot for boosting immunity.
“Our findings are clear evidence that sublingual immunotherapy in the form of allergy drops are an effective potential treatment option,” says senior study investigator Sandra Lin.
In eight of 13 studies, researchers found “strong evidence” that drop therapy led to a 40% or higher reduction in chest tightness, coughing and wheezing compared with other treatments.
The researchers analyzed 63 published studies, involving 5,131 participants, mostly in Europe, where allergy drops are widely available.
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved taking the drops under the tongue as a therapy. But doctors in the USA prescribe the drops “off-label” for some patients, Lin says.
Lin, an associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Johns Hopkins’ School of Medicine, says allergy drops are more convenient for many people. Because the drops can be taken at home, patients can save time by not having to make regular trips to the doctor’s office for an allergy shot.
Lin says studies to determine effective doses in the USA are needed.
Kevin McGrath, a spokesman for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, says allergy drop therapy is a promising treatment for the future but more research is needed.
Such therapy has been shown to be somewhat effective for single allergens, says McGrath, an allergist in Wethersfield, Conn. “There really are no good studies right now that have proven effectiveness for multiple allergens, which is what the majority of patients in the U.S. need,” adds McGrath, who was not involved in the study.
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