While many children suffer from allergies, a number of people don’t begin developing them until they are older. Symptoms including sneezing, itchy and watery eyes and even headaches may begin in early adulthood, which can result in patients’ searching for some form of relief.
“I never had allergies growing up,” explained Jill (last name withheld), who began developing allergies in her early 20s. “At first it was my eyes; any time I would go outside, my eyes would burn and stream tears. It got so bad recently that I began developing sores under my eyes from wiping away the tears; my makeup was constantly smearing and it was terribly painful.”
Two years after the onset of her allergies, Jill began having chronic headaches, which sent her to the doctor time and time again. She tried to treat her allergies using Claritin, choosing not to see an allergist because of the cost and time involved. “I did my research, but realized that with the job I had, I wasn’t going to be able to visit a specialists’ office one to two times a week for shots; it just wasn’t going to happen,” she explained, adding that she has a number of environmental allergies including grass, pollen and dander. Unfortunately, medications like Claritin and Allegra caused her to feel anxious and restless, compounding the problem even more.
To combat her allergies, Jill was directed by her primary care physician to try sublingual immunotherapy, an oral therapy that bypasses the need for regularly scheduled injections. “I began the oral therapy, which is really simple,” she explained. “I put two drops under my tongue in the morning and two drops under my tongue before I go to sleep at night, and I am feeling so much better!”
Told that it might take 30 to 60 days before she saw signs of relief, Jill began feeling better after just 2-1/2 weeks. “Things were dramatically different,” she said. “Normally my nose would be running and my eyes would be tearing, but I’d say that six out of seven days, I wouldn’t have any symptoms. I still haven’t seen the full results, but I’m thrilled so far.” Jill is also pleased that she hasn’t had any side effects, such as were caused by over-the-counter allergy medications.
Jennifer Rogers, a certified physician assistant (PA-C) in the office of Dr. David Liporace, has also seen positive results in patients treated by the AllergiEnd™ system. “We began using AllergiEnd™ last June, and our patients have been very receptive,” she explained. “They like the fact that there are no needles involved; that they don’t have to get fully undressed for the test, and that they get the results right away.”Rogers, who had had a negative experience of her own when getting tested for allergies, was open to the idea of streamlining the process for patients. “I was sent to an allergist and told that the copay was $50, and it turned out to be $500,” she said. “I didn’t get to see the doctor or a PA—a nurse did the test in a room full of other people; there was no privacy. I knew that there had to be a better system for treating allergy patients that was less expensive and provided better access.”
When a patient comes to the office for testing, Rogers explains the AllergiEnd™ system and then administers the test. “The patient lies down on his or her stomach, and after wiping the area with alcohol, I press the applicator into the patient’s back—it feels kind of like a firm hairbrush,” she explained. “In 20 minutes, we have the results, which I go over with the patient. They leave the office with a copy of the results and a definitive answer.”
Because the results come back so quickly, patients can immediately begin allergy avoidance therapy and/or oral therapy. “Patients really like the drops; they can take them at home, which requires less follow-up visits to the doctor and fewer co-pays,” said Rogers. “There is also less risk of infection from an injection.
“Not only do they like not being stuck by a needle, but it saves them from having to go to a doctor’s office to get shots each week, which is very inconvenient if you work,” Rogers continued, adding that some patients who have been on numerous medications for allergies have been able to reduce the amounts of medicine that they are taking. “AllergiEnd™ has worked out very well for us and for our patients.”