You’re not eating now, are you? Good.

Many of us suffer from hay fever and allergies to some degree. There are any number of medications — prescription and over the counter — to relieve most symptoms.

But if a group of British researchers is right, a chemical-free alternative to allergy medications might be getting yourself infested with a mild case of intestinal hookworms.

Researchers noticed that people in developed nations with the highest concentrations of hookworms also have the lowest reported cases of asthma. This led scientists to speculate that a lack of intestinal parasites might be leaving people more vulnerable to diseases aggrevated by an overactive immune system, such as hay fever, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease.

Clinical trials

A research group at the UK’s University of Nottingham decided to test their theory on a small group of volunteers. Participants were infected with between 10 and 100 hookworms to see if their overall health was effected. Once it was determined that minor infestations of hookworm produced no serious side effects, 30 hay fever sufferers were given low doses of hookworm through a skin patch.

While the purpose of the test was simply to verify that the hookworms didn’t make hay fever symptoms worse, many of the participants felt the treatment was beneficial and declined to have their worms removed at the end of the trial.

More tests ahead

The next study will broaden the test group and specifically investigate whether hookworm therapy is effective in the management of hay fever symptoms. Should this prove to be the case, allergy sufferers may soon have the option to be treated by intentional hookworm infestation, or by chemicals which mocks the body’s reaction to parasites.

So what is actually happening here? Scientists think the presence of hookworms may stimulate T-cell production, which in turn dampens the body’s immune response. And that means fewer sneezes, scratchy throats, and watery eyes.

Of course, all this may change the way allergy medicines are advertised. Instead of an attractive model taking a pill. then romping, allergy free, through a field full of goldenrod, we see something like this.

ATTRACTIVE MALE: Hey, Sylivia. You don’t seem to be coughing and sneezing as much as you used to. What did you do?

ATTRACTIVE WOMAN: Well, Bob, you’d never guess. I got myself infected with a case of intestinal hookworms — and I’ve never felt better!

ATTRACTIVE MALE: (Turns pale and covers mouth) Wow, that’s totally disgusting.

That last part might need a little work.

Link: The Telegraph