New pills have been approved by the FDA to treat seasonal allergies.
Spring is finally here and, with the warm weather taking over, allergy sufferers are beginning to feel the effects of their seasonal breathing issues. Experts estimate that 20 percent of all Americans suffer from some kind of allergy, while fully expecting spring 2014 to be especially harsh on those people. While there are the traditional methods of relieving the symptoms, new pills have been approved by the FDA that could provide a greater respite from sneezing and wheezing.
Recently, the FDA approved two new tablets – Oralair and Grastek – for the treatment of seasonal allergies. They would be taken instead of the traditional allergy shots that most patients receive. Over time, the pills work to retrain your immune system to be stronger against triggers in the air, while only having a few standard side effects. While this might sound like a dream come true for many people, there is a catch: The pills are only available for certain kinds of allergies.
"The products that are available are really only for grass pollen allergies. And we have many patients who are allergic to a host of things that are in the air, so they may be allergic to trees and grasses," Dr. Frederic Little of Boston Medical Center told local reporters.
While this is a step in the right direction for many people, it is not a complete solution. The FDA is also in the middle of testing other oral treatments for allergies, including tablets for ragweed and dust mites that are in their final stages of approval from the government agency.
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