COLUMBUS, Ohio - It’s not quite autumn yet, but fall allergy season already is in full swing in Ohio.

Ragweed is the biggest offender this year, experts say, causing itchy throats, watery eyes and runny noses. Even so, says Dr. Karen Calhoun, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Ohio State University Medical Center, there’s no reason to suffer because plenty of treatment options are available - starting with an over-the-counter antihistamine such as Zyrtec, Claritin, or Allegra. If that doesn’t work, she says, another option might be immunotherapy.

“The only thing that we have that comes close to being a cure for allergies. They make a permanent change in your immune system so you no longer react to the environmental proteins that someone who’s allergic reacts to.”

Immunotherapy for allergies is traditionally administered through shots by a doctor. But a new option is emerging, sublingual immunotherapy, which are drops that patients place under the tongue at home. The drops are under review by the Food and Drug Administration, and Calhoun, who is among the few who offer the therapy, expects approval for widespread use. The drops currently are not covered by insurance and cost an average of $13 per week.

The drops have been used in Europe for 30 years, Calhoun says. Patients who use them build a tolerance and become allergy-free in a few years.

“The drops are safer. They’re done daily, and except for the very first dose, they’re done at home. So, for someone who travels a lot, for someone who has a really insane work schedule, like many people do, this is a really good alternative.”

Ohioans can expect allergy symptoms to continue until the first frost, Calhoun says, when the ground - not the just the air - drops below 32 degrees.

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