If you think allergies aren’t a serious medical issue consider this, allergy symptoms are responsible for six million lost work days and two million lost school days in the U.S. each year. The alarming statistics are based on a report done by The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Inc.
“Most of my patients say the morning is the toughest time of the day to control allergy symptoms,” said Michael Blaiss, M.D., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Tennessee and immediate past President of ACAAI. “A recent survey validated what physicians have been hearing from patients, that it is crucial to relieve morning allergy symptoms.”
Cami Hill couldn’t agree more. “I wake up and feel like my head could explode,” the 31 year old allergy sufferer said. “I have tried a lot of medications and can’t seem to find one that leaves me feeling awake and well in the morning.”
So, researchers decided to see if they could do something about the morning onset of symptoms. Scientists tested Clarinex, an allergy medication, to see if it could bring relief to those battling allergies. With the help of 534 patients, researchers administered Clarinex, or a placebo, to the group and tracked their allergy symptoms for two weeks. At the beginning and end of the study, results show Clarinex did decrease allergy symptoms in the morning.
“In the study, patients taking once-daily Clarinex experienced relief of symptoms in the morning, starting with the first measured time period, 24 hours after the first dose, and also reported sustained improvements for the full 24-hour dosing period,” said Catherine Neukirch, M.D., Pulmonology and Allergology Dept. of Hopital Bichat, Paris, France and lead researcher.
About Clarinex
Clarinex is a non-sedating prescription antihistamine that provides 24-hour relief of allergies in adults and children. The medication comes in a tablet or as bubblegum-flavored syrup for children as young as 6 months. Side effects include sore throat, dry mouth and fatigue.
