Elizabeth
Elizabeth
2/28/15 10:29PM
How come I have never heard about allergy drops before—should I be nervous that the FDA has not approved them yet?
New medical treatments can often make us cautious. Maybe sublingual immunotherapy (aka SLIT or allergy drops) is new to you. Can they be trusted? Are they effective?
Allergy drops are somewhat new on the U.S. market, but they are not new in other countries. About 40% of allergy treatment in Europe today is done using sublingual immunotherapy (Combiths, 2014). If allergy drops work in Ireland, they will work in Iowa—or any other place, for that matter.
It is true that the FDA still has not approved sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) treatment. So, besides European doctors, are there other prominent and trustworthy sources that agree that allergy drops are as good as they sound?
Actually, yes, there are.
There are many, many studies and sources that recommend allergy drops as a great way to not only treat, but to solve allergy problems. There are two major sources worth mentioning here.
The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations (WHO, 2015). The WHO is recognized and around the world for setting standards of safe clinical practices. It monitors health trends and have a voice in reliable research methods. This renowned organization has endorsed allergy drops as a viable, safe, and effective alternative to shots and other allergy treatments (Combiths, 2014). Their approval is reassuring.
USA today tells us of another reputable source who did some extensive research on sublingual immunotherapy. Johns Hopkins University researchers evaluated more than 60 studies about SLIT involving 5,131 participants. Their verdict: “Our findings are clear evidence that sublingual immunotherapy in the form of allergy drops are an effective potential treatment option” (Payne, 2013). It is significant that John Hopkins would make such a strong statement after such inclusive research. Thousands of participants experienced improvement.
Next time we will take a detailed look at some of the studies that have been done on sublingual immunotherapy to see how they can apply to us personally; because up to this point, it looks promising.
Combiths, S. (2014, August 3). Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT): What it is and how it works. Retrieved from http://www.achooallergy.com/slit-allergy-cure.asp
World Health Organization (2015, January 20). About WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/about/en/
Payne, C. (2013, March 27). Analysis: Allergy drops a good alternative to shots. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/26/allergy-drop-asthma/2021681/
