SLIT appears to be safer than conventional allergy shots. The most frequent report of adverse effects include oral itching or swelling, as well as gastrointestinal upset; in the great majority of cases, these are mild and short-lived.1 2 In one study, 12% of patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma experienced worsening of symptoms at some point in their treatment. 3 Severe allergic reactions appear to occur rarely. However, it has not been tested in high-risk asthma patients. 4 Another problem is that no allergy extracts for use in sublingual immunotherapy have been officially approved for use in the US, and therefore products available remain incompletely regulated.
SLIT appears to be safer than conventional allergy shots. The most frequent report of adverse effects include oral itching or swelling, as well as gastrointestinal upset; in the great majority of cases, these are mild and short-lived.1 2 In one study, 12% of patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma experienced worsening of symptoms at some point in their treatment. 3 Severe allergic reactions appear to occur rarely. However, it has not been tested in high-risk asthma patients. 4 Another problem is that no allergy extracts for use in sublingual immunotherapy have been officially approved for use in the US, and therefore products available remain incompletely regulated.
Numerous double-blind, placebo-controlled studies indicate that SLIT can improve all major symptoms of allergic rhinitis when the offending allergens are known.32,43,48,49,51,63,68,69 However, in a 2008 comprehensive review of evidence for using SLIT for grass pollen and house dust mite allergies, researchers raised questions regarding the quality and consistency of these and other studies.65
SLIT may help prevent the development of new allergies or mild persistent asthma in children with allergic rhinitis or intermittent asthma.70
The immune system has many components, and only one of them, the IgE/eosinophil system, produces typical allergic reactions. The intended effect of SLIT is to “train” other branches of the immune system to neutralize allergens before the IgE/eosinophil system "notices" that they are there and causes an allergic reaction.
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an alternative to conventional immunotherapy (also known as allergy shots). SLIT involves using allergenic substances placed under the tongue. One advantage of SLIT over allergy shots is that SLIT does not involve needles; this makes it less unpleasant and a treatment that can be done at home rather than at a doctor’s office.
Research supporting the use of SLIT for allergic rhinitis is promising. One study suggests that SLIT is not only effective for treating allergies, but may also help prevent the development of new allergies or mild persistent asthma in children with allergic rhinitis or intermittent asthma.70
A similar but less widely accepted treatment for allergic rhinitis is enzyme potentiated desensitization (EPD).
