ALEXANDRIA, VA – According to a new study, hay fever may be better controlled with patient-adjusted dosing. This new research was published in the September issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

Hay fever is a form of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis may occur in a variety of allergies to such things as plant pollens, molds, dust mites, animal dander and others. The term “hay fever” is used to describe the typical fall allergies to ragweed and late pollinating plants, which occurs during the fall harvest season.

Thai researchers looked at 69 patients with allergic rhinitis. Patients received treatment with the intranasal corticosteroid spray triamciolone acetonide, known widely in North America under the brand name Nasacort. All participants suffering mild symptoms were told to use the spray only once a day and only after symptoms had already occurred. Those suffering severe symptoms were told to use the spray daily until they were without symptoms for a full 24 hours. However, patients with severe symptoms were told that they could adjust their usage as required, and not to allow mild or intermittent symptoms without treatment.

All patients in the study saw improvement in their symptoms, including a reduction in blocked sinuses, runny noses, sneezing and nasal itch.

The authors of the study believe that the self adjusted approach, which allows the individual to increase or decrease medication based on symptoms, gives patients with severe rhinitis the best results while also preventing tolerance. In addition, variable dosing seems to stop both priming responses (where the patient would want more drug to control the symptoms) and increased sensitivity. As a result, severe patients were able to control symptoms with approximately three-quarters of the recommended once a day dose for their level of disease, simply through varying the dose based on the severity on a particular day.

This approach could help to improve compliance as well as the effectiveness of such allergy treatment by allowing the patient a greater sense of control as well as better management of the condition.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery