Botox could offer new hope to the three million Australians debilitated by hayfever every spring.
Australian researchers have discovered that applying a Botox gel to the nasal cavity could provide hayfever sufferers with relief for 90 days.
Professor Philip Bardin, director of sleep and respiratory medicine at Southern Health in Victoria, led a trial that found Botox could be used to block nerve endings in the nasal passage to reduce inflammation and symptoms.
"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," Professor Bardin said.
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"Botox is far from a purely cosmetic product. Increasingly we're coming to understand the tremendous clinical benefits that botulinum toxin offers. We hope this world-first trial will be the first step towards relief for millions of Australians and millions worldwide."
Southern Health is now recruiting 70 volunteers to take part in a randomised placebo controlled trial, to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.
The treatment could replace hayfever tablets and nasal sprays in six to eight months.
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