They cause tears, sneezing, and coughing. Allergies are making headlines again. Each year, especially in spring, more and more people are affected. Pollens are the main culprits, causing hay fever, rhinitis, and even asthma, and in some cases, death. To combat this scourge, scientific research is evolving, improving, and becoming more effective.
Gone are the days of repeated visits to the doctor and heavy prescriptions. A few drops placed under the tongue several times a month for a duration of three to five years are sufficient. More freedom, less wasted time. Medical advancements are going to make many people happy. It will no longer be a weekly injection, and then monthly, for three to five years. A real, yet demanding, desensitization treatment for the patient. Forced to visit their doctor repeatedly, they leave with marks on their arms. This is the case for Yvette Garcia, a patient of an allergist in Nice. The reason: burning eyes and endless sneezing. “I always have to carry about fifty tissues with me.” Yvette Garcia is allergic to pollen and has been treated with this method for five years. A practice that no longer has a reason to exist.
Because the new form of treatment, called “sublingual,” promises a success rate over 50%. Sometimes reaching up to 80% satisfaction. At least that’s what allergist Véronique L. G., practicing in Nice, confirms. Her summary is clear: “This treatment leads to the disappearance of the allergy or at least a reduction of its effects.”
As before, the patient must undergo a few preliminary tests before any treatment. And to start, a “Prick Test” is essential. This skin test identifies the type of allergy—dust mites, cat hair, pollen. The latter is the most virulent. On the French Riviera, it is mainly cypress pollen. The specialist then places an extract of the allergen on the patient’s forearm. If the patient is a child under two years old, the examination is conducted on the back. It only takes twenty minutes to get the results.
A papule of urticaria appears, practically a red bump similar to a mosquito bite. In this case, the result is positive. The time has come to prescribe pills. This is the antihistamine treatment. Only if this proves ineffective is the new “sublingual” treatment implemented. Throughout the patient’s journey, blood tests are also conducted to monitor the evolution of the allergy. A disease ranked by the World Health Organization as the fourth in the world, affecting more than three million French people.
