Botox could help fight hay fever: study

9 Oct 2012, 7:09 am   -   Source: AAP
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Hay-fever tablets or nasal sprays may soon be a thing of the past, with a new trial underway to test a Botox gel that could provide months of relief.

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It smooths wrinkles and has even reduced tremors in multiple sclerosis patients.

Now Botox could be the latest weapon against hay fever.

Southern Health researchers in Melbourne are conducting a world-first trial of a Botox gel that could potentially provide relief to sufferers of hay fever for up to three months.

Southern Health's director of Sleep and Respiratory Medicine Philip Bardin said Botox was far from just a cosmetic product and increasingly offered medical benefits for a range of conditions.

Professor Bardin said preliminary studies had shown that Botox, also known as Botulinum toxin, offered hay-fever relief by blocking nerve endings in the nasal passage.

This reduced inflammation and halted the onset of symptoms.

The gel is easily applied to the nasal cavity where it penetrates the tissue, Prof Bardin said.

Botox had also proved effective as a treatment for severe asthmatics, he said.

"We've had very promising results using Botox as a treatment for severe asthmatics, and it is possible this new gel could give hay-fever sufferers relief from symptoms for an extended period of time," Prof Bardin said in a statement.

"We hope this world-first trial will be the first step towards relief for millions of Australians and millions worldwide."

Severe hay-fever sufferer Anesti Steryos said the treatment had the potential to make his life easier.

"It would make managing my hay fever a lot easier if this gel could offer longer-lasting relief," Mr Steryos said.

"It seems almost silly to be struck down by something like hay fever but it really can be debilitating.

"You're sneezing uncontrollably, your nose is pouring and your eyes become incredibly itchy."

In the trial of asthma patients, Botox was injected into the vocal cords with 82 per cent of patients in one subset experiencing a reduction in symptoms.

A Royal Melbourne Hospital study this year found that Botox reduced tremors in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by about 40 per cent for up to six months.

Botox has already proven effective for muscle stiffness in MS patients and is also available as a treatment for stroke and cerebral palsy sufferers.

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