Sublingual Immunotherapy
"Under the Tongue"
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has been the method of desensitization therapy in Europe for over twenty five years. The antigens are again determined from skin or serologic testing. SLIT consists of placing a drop of the serum underneath the tongue and compressing the serum with the tongue against the floor of the mouth for approximately one minute. The patient then begins an escalation phase of the immunotherapy similar to SCIT but the SLIT is administered every day.
This form of immunotherapy is not a covered benefit by health insurance. It should be noted there are clinical trials underway to prove its efficacy. (European medical centers have already proven the efficacy of SLIT).
SLIT is an ideal form of immunotherapy for children, patients with needle phobias, and those patients who live/work a long distance from the doctor's office. At this time, SLIT appears to be a safer form of immunotherapy that SCIT.
