Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, is caused by an allergy to different pollens. In England, the grass pollen counts are particularly high in late spring and mid summer. They subsequently peak in July, before coming back down to virtually zero by the end of autumn. If you are suffering from severe symptoms, then immunotherapy for hayfever may be the best treatment you can get.
While antihistamines and nasal sprays offer symptomatic relief, immunotherapy presents a long-term solution. It does so by targeting the root cause of the allergy.
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy may also be referred to as allergy shots or sublingual tablets. Allergy shots in this context not to be confused with the hayfever shots which are steroid injections and no longer recommended. Immunotherapy should be done instead of the Kenalog steroid shots as it is a much safer treatment with fewer side effects.
Immunotherapy is essentially a treatment designed to desensitise the immune system to allergens. This means that your body will not react as severely the next time it comes into contact with allergens such as grass or tree pollen. The process involves gradually introducing small amounts of the allergen into the body.
This trains the immune system to become less reactive over time. Immunotherapy is particularly effective for those with severe hay fever who do not respond well to conventional treatments.
How do I get started?
At Holistic Allergy, we can start the immunotherapy treatment and organise regular reviews to ensure it is being effective. There are several safe options for immunotherapy licensed in the UK. All the immunotherapy agents that we use in our clinic are fully licensed by. MHRA and also used in the NHS.
The types of immunotherapy we can offer are:
- Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT): Commonly known as allergy shots, SCIT is administered through injections, usually in an allergy clinic and requires regular visits.
- Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT): This method involves placing a tablet containing the allergen under the tongue. It can be done at home, making it a convenient option for many patients. It is only the first dose that needs to be administered in a clinical setting, under supervision for about 20-30 mins. If this is well tolerated, then we will issue you a private prescription to collect this from a designated pharmacy. There are both sublingual drops or tablets (GRAZAX®) available.
There are two regimens possible for hayfever immunotherapy:
Option 1: One option is to take it for 12 months continuously throughout the year for 3 years.
Option 2: The second option is to start taking it 2 months before the pollen season, then continue throughout spring and summer until autumn. This means taking it for about 8 months per year. For season grass allergy, you would start in February and take immunotherapy until end of August. For tree pollen allergy, or if there is a mix, one would start in December/ January and continue until the end of tree pollen season in July.
We recommend the continuous treatment regimen for maximum benefit, however the cost can also be an important factor to consider.
Sublingual immunotherapy for hayfever
GRAZAX®
GRAZAX® is a SLIT treatment specifically designed for individuals with grass pollen allergies. It comes as a table that you place under the tongue. This contains a standardised extract of Timothy grass pollen. This is the most common cause of hay fever and there is high cross reactivity established between this and other grass species as well. This means that reducing your body’s sensitivity to Timothy grass should reduce the overall hay fever symptoms, regardless of what grass pollen species are in the air. GRAZAX® has been clinically proven to reduce hay fever symptoms and improve the quality of life for those affected by grass pollen allergies.
Grazax sublingual tablets
Studies have shown that if Grazax is initiated 8 weeks before the grass pollen season, it can offer a significant improvement in the allergy symptoms exhibited. This study published in Allergy also showed that the earlier you initiate the treatment, the better the improvement in symptoms.
ORALTEK®
ORALTEK® is another option for hay fever immunotherapy. It is developed by INMUNOTEK and used extensively at various NHS hospitals and other private allergists. It is about 80% effective for the treatment of type I allergic respiratory diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Prior to use, allergy to grass or other pollens needs to be established via an IgE blood test or skin prick testing.
OralTek Allergy Oral Immunotherapy pump is used to spray the medication under the tongue.
ORALTEK® targets common allergens like:
- Pollen,
- Dust mites,
- Fungi (moulds), and
- Animal dander / hair.
It is administered perilingually/ sublingually via a spray. This covers a larger mucosal area for improved absorption compared to traditional drops.
Clinical studies have demonstrated significant symptom improvement and high patient compliance with minimal adverse events.
ORALTEK® Side effects
ORALTEK® has been found to be very safe in all the clinical trials performed. Here are some potential side effects:
1. Local Adverse Reactions:
Mild to moderate local allergic reactions in the mouth, such as oral and oropharyngeal itching. These reactions generally occur early during treatment and are transient, resolving spontaneously.
Examples of local reactions include:
- Itching around the mouth
- Mild mouth itching on the first 2-3 days of treatment.
- Very mild oral itching lasting about 5 minutes with the first dose
2. Lower Gastrointestinal Symptoms:
ORALTEK® can cause lower gastrointestinal symptoms, although these are typically transient and resolve on their own. This may include nausea, abdominal pain or diarrhoea.
3. Systemic Adverse Events:
No systemic adverse events were reported in the studies performed. No deaths, severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis were observed or reported.
Whether you want to get an allergy test done, or simply discuss your hayfever immunotherapy options and find out the prices, you can contact us via telephone or email. If you are unable to visit us in person, we also offer the ALEX2 allergy testing kit. This is an evidence based and accurate remote way of checking for what you might be allergic to. It can be done from the comfort of your own home and only requires a few drops of blood.
