New Hope for Pollen, Milk Allergies
Shorter Course of Allergy Shots, Skin Patch for Milk Allergies Among New Approaches
The other children are tolerating an ounce of milk a day on average, he says.
“Even after stopping therapy, they’re still able to have milk in their diet,” he tells WebMD.
The catch: Many still have minor signs of allergic reaction, such as itching on the lip or tongue or mild stomach aches, about once a week or every other week.
“The reactions are largely unpredictable, although they are going down in frequency,” Narisety says.
Other researchers are studying sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, which involves placing drops or tablets that contain small amounts of an allergen under the tongue. Several studies presented at the meeting suggest the approach is safe and may alleviate symptoms in people with pollen and dust mite allergies.
But not all the news is good: Still other doctors found that SLIT may not work that well for people who are allergic to more than one type of pollen -- ragweed and grass, for example.
“When we gave drops that contain [grass allergen] alone, outcomes were significantly improved. But patients given [grass] mixed with nine other extracts didn’t do significantly better than those given placebo,” says Harold Nelson, MD, of National Jewish Health in Denver.
The big advantage of drops over shots is that you can apply them yourself, at home, Nelson tells WebMD. But “there’s probably a probably a limited role for single-extract [drops] in the U.S., as most Americans are allergic to multiple allergens,” he says.
New Hope for Pollen, Milk Allergies
Shorter Course of Allergy Shots, Skin Patch for Milk Allergies Among New Approaches
Oral Immunotherapy for Children With Milk Allergies continued...
The other children are tolerating an ounce of milk a day on average, he says.
“Even after stopping therapy, they’re still able to have milk in their diet,” he tells WebMD.
The catch: Many still have minor signs of allergic reaction, such as itching on the lip or tongue or mild stomach aches, about once a week or every other week.
“The reactions are largely unpredictable, although they are going down in frequency,” Narisety says.
Under-the-Tongue Approach
Other researchers are studying sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, which involves placing drops or tablets that contain small amounts of an allergen under the tongue. Several studies presented at the meeting suggest the approach is safe and may alleviate symptoms in people with pollen and dust mite allergies.
But not all the news is good: Still other doctors found that SLIT may not work that well for people who are allergic to more than one type of pollen -- ragweed and grass, for example.
“When we gave drops that contain [grass allergen] alone, outcomes were significantly improved. But patients given [grass] mixed with nine other extracts didn’t do significantly better than those given placebo,” says Harold Nelson, MD, of National Jewish Health in Denver.
The big advantage of drops over shots is that you can apply them yourself, at home, Nelson tells WebMD. But “there’s probably a probably a limited role for single-extract [drops] in the U.S., as most Americans are allergic to multiple allergens,” he says.
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