Information on Dymista

If you suffer from allergic rhinitis and you are living in the UK then we got some great news called: Dymista. The license for this brand new medication was approved in the UK just at the end of April 2013 (though Europe had approved it a few months earlier via the decentralised registration procedure). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval had already occurred in 2012.

What is Allergic Rhinitis?

Allergic Rhinitis is referred to any allergic reaction that causes an inflammation of the nasal airways. When it is due to pollen it is called pollinitis. If it is due to grass pollen specifically, it is commonly called hay fever.

How is Hay Fever usually cured?

Antihistamines and Corticosteroids have traditionally been used to treat symptoms of hay fever.

Histamine is a substance released by the cells in our body and one of its functions is to respond to an attack from the environment. It works as an alarm bell to let us know that there is something harmful we should avoid. However, in the case of allergy, the immune response is erroneous and antihistamines help block the histamine in advance, preventing it to alert the histamine receptors.

Corticosteroids are substances that aid and regulate immune and inflammation responses in our bodies.

Why is Dymista so revolutionary?

As the years go by allergic rhinitis tend to present themselves in stronger forms in individuals. Research suggests that this is due to climate change, as plants are trying to adapt to the new environment by releasing more pollen in the air.

Therefore, there has been a need to increase the strength of medication in order to target the population with moderate to severe allergic rhinitis.

Dymista for the first time is responding to this demand. Its new formula contains both antihistamine substances and corticosteroids –it is the combination of the two, therefore, the cause of its innovative approach.

But…is it safe?

As with all medical treatments, hay fever sufferers too should never abuse of it or any other medication. Medications should only be taken when there is truly a need for them. However, if you feel that your life and daily habits are hindered by your allergic rhinitis to a level that you are not comfortable to bear, then you should consider medication.

Studies show that almost half of the people treated with Dymista have shown a 50% (statistically significant) improvement. The medication is therefore very effective.

However, bear in mind that, as any other medications, Dymista too can cause side effects. The most common are: headaches, drowsiness, changes in taste and nosebleeds but it can also cause other problems, including eye-related and nose-related complications.

So is this medication worth trying?

If you are suffer from severe hay fever and you feel that your medications are not effective enough, then yes: you should discuss with your doctor about whether you can try Dymista as it has been found to be a better treatment option for hay fever sufferers. Many patients have found the medication to be very easy to use and quite effective. Hopefully you or your friend/relative will too!