Study results: Hay fever treatments often insufficient

ECARF head Torsten Zuberbier calls for further development of treatment possibilities

Hay fever is still not curable in some cases: a team of European researchers determined in a pilot study that 10 to 18% of patients with allergic hay fever still experience severe symptoms that restrict their quality of life even when receiving up-to-date treatment. The most common symptoms among participants were uncontrollable watery eyes and a runny or itchy nose.

"For those afflicted, this means not only a significant restriction in quality of life, but also reduced productivity and ability to concentrate", says Prof. Dr. med. Torsten Zuberbier, head of the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF) and co-author of the study. "The results make clear how important it is to continue work on specific new methods of treatment such as immunotherapy. This is the only way to increase the chances of eliminating severe allergic rhinitis."

Traditional treatments reach their limits

In the study, headed by Prof. Dr. med. Jean Bousquet of Montpellier University, almost 800 hay fever patients were treated for two weeks during the pollen season. The study focussed on changes in hay fever symptoms and their effects on the daily lives of the participants. In the majority of patients, symptoms were successfully alleviated through traditional treatments such as antihistamines. Between 10 and 18% of participants, however, continued to experience respiratory symptoms which affected their daily lives, their productivity at school or at work, and their sleeping patterns. Recently, such problems were categorized by the World Allergy Organisation (WAO) as "severe chronic upper airway disease" (SCUAD). Further research is still required to determine the exact causes.

Information on the study will soon be made available online:

www.jacionline.org/search/quick

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