'Tongue Drops' Cut Bee Sting Allergy
'Tongue Drops' Cut Bee Sting Allergy
Placing Venom Under the Tongue May Offer Alternative to Allergy Shots
It worked. The median diameter of the sting wheals in patients given sublingual immunotherapy dropped from about 8 to 3 inches. Looked at another way, wheal diameter was reduced by more than 50% in more than half of them.
"This was a very apparent and very significant reduction in the size of the reaction to the sting," Passalacqua says.
In contrast, there was no change in wheal diameter in the placebo group, and one person broke out in hives.
The findings show that sublingual immunotherapy against honeybee stings works, Passalacqua says.
The next step: Testing sublingual immunotherapy in patients who have more severe allergic reactions that spread far from the sting or that affect the entire body. Doctors call these systemic reactions; while uncommon, they can be life-threatening.
Clifford Bassett, MD, vice chair of AAAAI's public education committee and an allergist at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., says that if sublingual immunotherapy proves safe and effective in larger numbers of people, "it will offer an alternative treatment for our patients. It's always good to have multiple choices."
In the meantime, he tells WebMD, venom shots are more than 95% effective in reducing the risk of systemic reactions in people with honeybee sting allergies.
While not always possible, avoiding the bees in the first place is the first line of defense, Bassett adds. A few tips: avoid cologne and trash-collection areas where the insects congregate.
'Tongue Drops' Cut Bee Sting Allergy
Placing Venom Under the Tongue May Offer Alternative to Allergy Shots
The Bee Sting Challenge continued...
It worked. The median diameter of the sting wheals in patients given sublingual immunotherapy dropped from about 8 to 3 inches. Looked at another way, wheal diameter was reduced by more than 50% in more than half of them.
"This was a very apparent and very significant reduction in the size of the reaction to the sting," Passalacqua says.
In contrast, there was no change in wheal diameter in the placebo group, and one person broke out in hives.
The findings show that sublingual immunotherapy against honeybee stings works, Passalacqua says.
Venom Shots Are Effective
The next step: Testing sublingual immunotherapy in patients who have more severe allergic reactions that spread far from the sting or that affect the entire body. Doctors call these systemic reactions; while uncommon, they can be life-threatening.
Clifford Bassett, MD, vice chair of AAAAI's public education committee and an allergist at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y., says that if sublingual immunotherapy proves safe and effective in larger numbers of people, "it will offer an alternative treatment for our patients. It's always good to have multiple choices."
In the meantime, he tells WebMD, venom shots are more than 95% effective in reducing the risk of systemic reactions in people with honeybee sting allergies.
While not always possible, avoiding the bees in the first place is the first line of defense, Bassett adds. A few tips: avoid cologne and trash-collection areas where the insects congregate.
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