What is Food SLIT?

If you are not familiar with SLIT, we are talking about sublingual immunotherapy, the administration of an allergen under the tongue that over time makes you less allergic. SLIT has been referred to as “allergy drops,” and is an alternative treatment to oral immunotherapy (OIT). The sublingual route has been used in the treatment of environmental allergies (hay fever and asthma) for many years in Europe, and has recently gained more interest in the United States as an option to allergy shots. 

Food proteins placed under the tongue come in contact with oral mucus membranes and are then recognized by special immune cells called dendritic cells. These cells communicate with other immune cells (T lymphocytes) to hyposensitize you, or reduce your allergic sensitivity.  

Over the past 20 years, the safety of SLIT has been well documented. Fatal reactions to SLIT have not been reported to date, and serious reactions are extremely rare. Mild side effects, such as an itchy mouth, occur in the majority of people initially and tend to resolve over time.

Moderate side effects have been documented (1 in about every 12,000 doses), including: eye itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, asthma symptoms and hives.

The strong safety profile of SLIT is largely due to the nature of the oral mucosa being conditioned to tolerate various proteins on a daily basis, such as foods and resident bacteria. As a result, the sublingual mucosa has few pro-inflammatory cells, such as mast cells (which trigger allergic reactions in the eyes, nose and lungs). This helps to explain why SLIT, when compared to OIT and allergy shots, is less likely to cause a severe, generalized allergic reaction.

Check out our other posts and website (www.WindomAllergy.com) for information on the efficacy of food SLIT, the nuts and bolts of treating yourself or a family member, and how best to see if this safe and simple form of food allergy treatment is right for you.