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Controlling Allergies Before They Start

by Medindia Content Team on Jun 17 2004 1:48 PM

Nearly 60 million Americans suffer from hay fever - runny noses to watery and itchy eyes. Now, a new option under study could prevent symptoms before they start. Researchers are studying a new type of therapy for hay fever. If it works well, They say that it could be the perfect treatment.

After exposure to allergens such as pollen, the body produces a variety of antibodies that sensitize mast cells to produce the chemical histamine. Re-exposure to the allergen causes allergic symptoms. Anti-histamines only block histamine. Researchers say the new drug works by blocking the pathway within the mast cell, so the histamine is never released.

However ,currently, the drug does not have a name and is referred to as R112 and specialists say the effects of the drug will be similar to nasal steroids, but rather than the normal three to four weeks it takes for steroids to reach maximum effect, the new drug works almost immediately.


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