The grass pollen hay fever season is fast approaching and those of you prescribed oral immunotherapy should have now commenced treatment at least 2 months before the summer season kicks off in May. For the rest of us, make sure you start taking antihistamine medication at least for a week before those innocent looking lawns and fields start their unrelenting attack on our upper airways.
Specific grass desensitization to Timothy grass pollen as a treatment for allergy and hay fever has been available for the last 3 years. This sublingual (SLIT) tablet contains a Timothy grass pollen extract which dissolves away under the tongue where it is absorbed promoting immune tolerance to grass pollen when taken over a 3 year period. Although expensive at over £2 per day, Grazax is an additional option for those severe hay fever sufferers (with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) not responding to conventional antihistamine medication and nasal steroid sprays. It can be prescribed on the NHS but many health authorities deem it too expensive for the 30% improvement in hay fever symptoms and reduced medication requirements documented in clinical studies. Many desperate hay fever sufferers have therefore turned to private prescriptions of this disease modifying hay fever tablet.
Reference: Durham SR et al. Long-term clinical efficacy in grass pollen-induced rhinoconjunctivitis after treatment with SQ-standardized grass allergy immunotherapy tablet. Journal Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2010;125:131-38
