At Last… A Hay Fever Cure Not to Be Sneezed at

THE hay fever season is now officially underway and, if the glorious weathe r

over the Bank Holiday is anything to go by, it’s likely to be a bad one for the one in four British teenagers and adults under 45 who are allergic to pollens.

Fortunately, the predicted bad hay fever season can be somewhat tempered by the launch of a new treatment that, if adopted with the same enthusiasm here as it has been in countries such as France and Italy, should transform the outlook for those worst affected.

Sub-lingual immunotherapy (SLIT) works by exposing the person to multiple small doses of pollen extract tree, grass or both to encourage their immune system not to overreact when it comes into contact with natural pollens. Put simply, it induces tolerance.

Given as daily drops or tablets under the tongue, SLIT works best if started 12 to 16 weeks before the hay fever season gets underway which means starting in January for people allergic to tree pollens and April for those allergic to grass pollens and continued for eight weeks afterwards.

The regime needs to be repeated the following year, but by year three there is a chance that the new-found tolerance may be permanent, reducing the need for further treatment.

It is virtually side-effect free and very effective four out of five people notice a significant improvement in their symptoms, ranging from being "cured" at one extreme, to managing with fewer conventional medicines at the other.

The bad news is that there is currently only one form of SLIT licensed in the UK the grass-pollen extract Grazax and getting hold of it is difficult. At the moment it is being prescribed only by allergy specialists to help people with the most severe forms of hay fever and, given the difficulties of accessing the limited number of such specialists on the NHS, if you have not already been offered it then you won’t get it this year. But do bear Grazax in mind for next year, when it is hoped that GPs will be able to prescribe it. In the meantime, try thefollowing steps to get the best out of the more readily available products.

STEP ONE Avoid unnecessary contact with pollen.

Wear sunglasses, keep your doors and windows shut at home, avoid spending too much time outside first thing in the morning and in the evening, when counts tend to be highest. Keep your car windows closed and, if possible, choose a car with air conditioning and a pollen filter. Be careful not to wash pollen from your hair into your eyes when showering.

STEP TWO If you get symptoms only on a few days, then keep a packet of antihistamine tablets handy and take as required (ask your pharmacist to point you in the right direction of the modern, once- daily, non-sedative types). If you have more persistent symptoms, and would prefer to avoid taking tablets every day, try a nasal spray for sneezing and other nasal symptoms, and/or eye drops for itchy red eyes.

I prefer steroid nasal sprays (good for a blocked nose) and cromoglycate eye drops both are available on prescription and over- the-counter and follow the instructions to the letter to get the best results from them.

Regular use of steroid-based nasal sprays can also help control eye problems.

There is growing evidence that they are particularly important in people with asthma (poorly controlled nasal symptoms due to hay fever can aggravate cough and wheeze).

STEP THREE If a nasal spray and eye drops fail to control symptoms, add a daily antihistamine tablet.

STEP FOUR If the above fail, I consider adding in a short course of steroid tablets longacting steroid injections should be avoided where possible (although having one a year to cover the worse four to six weeks of the hay fever season is unlikely to result in any significant long-term side effects).

There are around 50 NHS clinics offering specialist treatment for people with allergies ranging from hay fever to potentially life- threatening food allergies.

Find your nearest one by visiting www.bsaci.org/clinics/uk. You will need a referral from your GP and the clinics generally only see people at the more severe end of the hay fever spectrum. For more on Grazax, visit www.grazax.com WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE?

PETASITES hybridus (butterbur, or bog rhubarb) contains antiinflammatory chemicals, and a recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that it compared favourably with an antihistamine for the treatment of hay fever. The study used a dose of

32 mg of butterbur extract a day the safest way to take butterbur, as the plant contains toxins that are removed during manufacture.

You can buy a similar product from pharmacies or health-food shops for about Pounds 6 for a month’s supply..

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