Wrinkle-busting Botox may be used to combat hay fever

Almost precisely a month ago we delivered some exciting news for 10 million hay fever sufferers in the UK and millions more around the globe when we reported how a new vaccine was in development that could directly hit the immune system, providing effective relief. This is on top of already currently available treatments such as Loratadine tablets, Nasonex nasal spray, Prevalin and Alomide allergy eye drops.

Now it seems that hay fever sufferers could be offered even more options to treat their symptoms, which occur when the immune system (the body’s defence system) overreacts to allergens, which in turn results in the release of histamine which in turn causes inflammation, itchy reddening or itchy eyes and sneezing. Although hay fever sufferers are worse hit during the spring and summer period, those who have allergic reactions to cats and dogs can find themselves in misery throughout the year when they come into contact with these animals.

The new treatment option bizarrely comes in the form of a Botox nasal gel remarkably, and now Australian scientists are currently preparing to carry out the first trial of its kind. Botox is mostly associated with celebrities who are willing to fork out thousands of pounds in their effort to beat the aging process. As well as a wrinkle-fighter, Botox may also be useful as a weapon against the inconvenient and troublesome symptoms of hay fever.

The Botox gel will be applied to the skin on your nose with the help of a cotton bud, where it will work by penetrating the skin to reach the nasal cavity. According to Philip Bardin, a professor at the Monash Medical Centre, the botulinum toxin could offer relief for hay fever sufferers by blocking nerve endings in the nasal passage, decreasing inflammation and preventing the onset of symptoms.

For the forthcoming study, Professor Bardin is optimistic about recruiting around 70 patients with hay fever and what is a common practice in these experiments; half of the subjects will receive the tested treatment (i.e. the Botox) and the other half will be given a placebo. The study is being initiated after preliminary trial earlier this year showed that the therapy does indeed provide relief from symptoms.

Here is what Professor Bardin had to say on the promising new treatment: “Botox works for three months and then its effects are broken down and the nerves regenerate. So if this works, maybe it’s gel into the nose every three months – or once a year for people who have seasonal allergic rhinitis – and, hopefully, no more sneezing.”

Dr Stephen Till from King’s College London, acknowledged the exciting breakthrough, saying: “This new vaccine is potentially applicable to far larger numbers than the existing one.”

However, the good news doesn’t end there. It seems even asthma sufferers could find themselves better off after a therapy of Botox. Professor Bardin has also released preliminary details of an experiment where a group of asthma patients with severe symptoms were injected with Botox into their larynx in an effort to alleviate muscle spasms. He claims that 80% of the asthma patients responded to the treatment and showed improve symptoms. The next step will be similar to the hay fever trial, involving a much bigger selection of patients, with both a Botox and placebo therapy being tested.

Of course, nobody knows for sure when or if Botox will be given the go-ahead for certified hay fever or asthma treatment as any potential health risks will have to be assessed first. In the meantime, Medical Specialists Pharmacy provides a huge range of products and medications to help both hay fever asthma sufferers, all at great prices. We have all of the previously mentioned hay fever treatments (Loratadine, Nasonex, Prevalin and Alomide), in addition to a huge range of asthma inhalers.

If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We have both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone and Qvar Easi-Breathe.

Asthma inhaler sensor given clearance by FDA

Asthma sufferers all around the world may soon have a revolutionary device in their possession after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a 510(k) clearance on Tuesday to a Madison based company to start rolling out its asthma inhaler sensor. This kind of clearance means it can be marketed based on the fact there is an existing comparable product in the market already.

Asthmapolis have announced they received the federal clearance required to start offering the sensors to the public, together with mobile and web application software. The sensors are named ‘the Spiroscout’, and will only be available on prescription.

The sensor can be attached to most reliever inhalers such as the widely used Ventolin, and preventive inhalers such as Qvar’s Beclometasone and Easi-Breathe inhalers. It works by transmitting data to the person’s smartphone upon each discharge of their inhaler and satellites can then pinpoint the user’s location and pass all information back to the company’s server.

Asthmapolis boast that their new device is ‘small and lightweight’ and ‘easy to mount securely on the end of most inhalers’. Some advantages to asthmatics will be the generation of weekly reports, providing information on how many times they have used their inhalers, locations of asthma attacks, and they can even receive text messages that remind them to use their asthma medications.
The chances are that not every single person who suffers from asthma or chronic pulmonary obstructive disease will also own a smartphone, so the makers have devised a plan to cater for this. Users can connect their sensor to an access point called ‘2net Hub’, created by the wireless health network company Qualcomm Life.

Inger Couture, Chief Regulatory Officer of Asthmapolis, commented on the new device via a written statement and said, “We are thrilled to have achieved this important milestone to support our mission of providing tools to help patients and their healthcare providers better understand and control their asthma symptoms. Despite all we know about asthma and how to treat it, the majority of patients still do not have the disease under control, and traditional approaches to self-management have been time-consuming and complicated. The Asthmapolis technology makes it much easier to track symptoms and use of metered dose inhalers, allowing patients, their families and their doctors to gain a valuable new perspective on the disease.”

The proportion of asthmatic individuals in the United States increased by nearly 15% from 2001 to 2010, at which point it was thought there were 25.7 million people were affected. So clearly the device will benefit many people. Also in the UK there are approximately 5.4 million people currently receiving treatment for asthma. The lung condition is a worldwide problem, and can be deadly if you are not keeping track of your symptoms and attacks through the use of an asthma diary, or do not have sufficient supplies of your asthma inhalers.

At Medical Specialists Pharmacy we offer a wide range of medications to help asthma sufferers, all at great prices. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler, have lost your inhaler, or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms.   After undergoing a private and confidential online consultation with one of our Doctors, if you are suitable they will then write you a prescription which is passed to our in-house Pharmacists and dispensed to a location of your choice. This is all done discretely and within just 24 hours. We offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

Christmas brings warnings for asthma and allergy sufferers

As the festive period is upon us, an expert allergist at the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Maywood, Ill, has issued a warning which could dampen the moods of many. Fresh Christmas trees, plants, air fresheners, perfumes, dust and nuts may trigger asthma attacks and allergic reactions according to Dr. Joseph Leija.
Dr. Leija has warned that there is a good chance of a trigger being created through things such as:  the dust on old boxes of decorations that have been stored away for probably almost a year, fresh Christmas trees, and the popular holiday houseplant the Poinsetta, which has become almost as widely known at Christmas as holly and ivy.

The allergist commented in a Loyola University Health System news release: “The dust from the boxes and on the decorations that have been packed away in dank basements or dusty attics is triggering reactions in my allergy and asthma patients”. He further went on to suggest methods of avoiding such problems. For instance he advised avoiding scented candles and oils, choosing an artificial tree as apposed to a real and fresh one, staying clear of fresh plants and flowers, be careful with the humidifier and keeping humidity to no more than 48 to 50 percent, and finally to store all decorations in plastic bins to help keep them dust-free.

If you are worried about Dr. Leija’s warnings, why not be prepared and help beat the Christmas blues. At Medical Specialists we offer a wide range of medications to help asthma and allergy sufferers, all at great prices. If you are suffering from asthma like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis. Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We now offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe, and Pulvinal Beclomethasone. If you suffer from hay fever or allergies we offer Loratadine tablets and Nasonex spray. Both of the aforementioned are available without the need for a prescription.