Family Allergy Clinic
3048 E. Baseline Road, Bldg. 10, Suite 122
Mesa, AZ 85204
CONTACT: Jill Ferguson (480) 827-9945
Stuart Agren, MD (480) 837-0038
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MESA CLINIC OFFERS KID-FRIENDLY
SOLUTION FOR ALLERGIES/ASTHMA
Allergies are on the rise in young children, but solutions are hard to find. While desensitization therapy through allergy shots can help, most allergists won’t start children on a shot regimen until age 7 due to the pain and risks involved. And while pediatric allergy medications are available, they often provide only partial symptom relief.
Asthmatic children, too, have dim hopes for a solution. The majority of asthma problems are allergy-related, so when allergies aren’t properly treated, asthma worsens. And while inhalers and other asthma drugs may help in the short term, they don’t get to the root of the allergy problem, and they can have harmful side effects.
But kids shouldn’t lose hope according to Dr. Stuart Agren. At his Mesa-based Family Allergy Clinic, Dr. Agren offers a kid-friendly allergy solution: oral allergy drops (also known as sublingual immunotherapy).
“I believe sublingual immunotherapy is the brightest star out there for kids with allergies,” said Dr. Agren, who makes the treatment available to children as young as infants.
Oral allergy drops offer an easy alternative to painful injections. The drops are placed under the tongue where they can be absorbed into the bloodstream, providing the benefits of allergy shots without the pain or inconvenience.
Allergy drops are also safer than shots which carry a significant risk of anaphylactic reaction. Allergy drops have been used in the U.S. and around the world for more than 60 years without any kind of a significant life-threatening reaction. As a result of their safety, children can take the serum drops in the comfort of their own home rather than traveling to the doctor’s office for supervision.
Oral allergy drops produce fast results. Most children experience symptom relief in just a few months. (A big improvement over allergy shot programs that typically require six months to two years to relieve symptoms.)
Genevieve Ball, a toddler, got rapid relief with allergy drops. Prior to treatment, she spent her life under a cloud of allergic misery.
“She was one of those kids that had the eternal runny nose,” said her mother, Heidi Ball.
In addition to the sniffling, her eyes watered, she sneezed continually, and she was usually tired and grouchy.
Dr. Agren started Genevieve Ball on his program when she was 2 years old. After a brief test at the Family Allergy Clinic, she received a tailor-made bottle of serum to take under the tongue several times a week—a ritual she looked forward to.
“She loved it,” said Heidi Ball. “She’d be the one that would remind us that she needed to take her drops.”
Genevieve’s parents noticed significant improvement within two weeks. Within a few months, she was virtually allergy-free.
The most common signs of allergies in youngsters are chronic coughs and colds, asthma, runny or congested nose, chronic sinus infections, eczema, allergic fatigue and hives.
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August 5, 2010