Move Over Allergy Shots: Family Allergy Clinic Treats Fall Hay Fever With No-Hassle Oral Drops

It’s a tough decision:  Suffer through another season of hay fever or make time for allergy shots at the doctor’s office. But according to the Family Allergy Clinic in Mesa, Arizona, there’s a better option.  The clinic specializes in oral allergy drops that offer the benefits of allergy immunotherapy without the pain and inconvenience of allergy injections.

Family Allergy Clinic director, Stuart Agren, M.D., believes allergy drops are the wave of the future for allergy treatment.

“Allergies are getting worse and people are getting busier,” said Dr. Agren.  “People don’t have time to go to the doctor’s office a couple times a week for shots like they used to.”

Because allergy drops are safer than shots, they can be taken at home rather than at the doctor’s office.  The drops are taken once daily under the tongue where special cells in the lining of the mouth carry them into the bloodstream.

Agren said that the drops have been shown to work as well as shots and are also less age-restrictive.

“Shots aren’t usually recommended for kids under age 8, but drops have been shown to be safe for children under 5,” said Dr. Agren.

Europe has embraced allergy drops since they came into use in the mid-1980s. About half of all allergy immunotherapy prescriptions on the continent are for allergy drops (rather than shots).

Immunotherapy is the only treatment that has been shown to change the underlying allergy.  Pills, inhalers, and nasal sprays can help reduce allergy symptoms, but they don’t affect the allergy itself.

Dr. Agren has treated more than 15,000 patients using sublingual (under-the-tongue) immunotherapy since he opened the Family Allergy Clinic nearly 30 years ago.  He recommends sublingual immunotherapy for anyone who deals with allergies for more than a few months of the year or for anyone whose quality of life is significantly affected by allergy.

“I look at duration and severity of symptoms,” said Dr. Agren.  “Patients with allergies that last for more than a few months of the year are often good candidate for allergy drops.  So are patients whose symptoms may not last as long but are uncomfortable enough that they are significantly interfering with a patient’s well-being.”

About Family Allergy Clinic

Doctors at this Arizona allergist clinic offer sublingual immunotherapy (under-the-tongue allergy drops) for pollen and pet allergies as well as for food allergies (including milk wheat, gluten, nut, and fruit). The treatment is effective for kids with allergies, asthma, hay fever, eczema, sinus infections, and more.

(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.)