Sublingual immunotherapy displays noteworthy efficacy in allergic rhinitis

Often overlooked in treatment studies, epistaxis (commonly known as nosebleeds) is a common issue among allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. This retrospective analysis by Jing Pei et al. explored the effects of sublingual immunotherapy with dermatophagoides farinae drops on AR patients with epistaxis.

Seventy-four children and adults (age group= 4 to 60 years old) suffering from dermatophagoides farinae or house dust mite-induced AR accompanied by epistaxis were considered. They underwent a year-long SLIT regimen using standard dermatophagoides farinae drops.

There was a marked reduction in symptom scores, total medicine scores (TMS), bleeding score (BS), combined symptom-medication scores (CSMSs) and visual analogue scales (VAS) compared to the initial levels (all p < 0.01) after 0.5 years and 1 year of the sublingual therapy. Moreover, statistical differences were illustrated in CSMS (p < 0.05) and VAS (p < 0.01) between these time points. The BS was positively associated with CSMS and VAS scores across all time points.