As long as cats keep shedding and trees keep trying to make more trees, a lot of allergy sufferers are going to be looking for relief. They might take medications to reduce their symptoms, or they might try to stay away from cat dander, pollen and other nuisances.
But what if allergy sufferers could stop those airborne offenders before they had a chance to cause trouble? That's the premise behind Chloraseptic Allergen Block and Little Allergies Allergen Block for children, gels that supposedly trap allergens right under a person's nose.
Allergen Block and Little Allergies Allergen Block -- both produced by Prestige Brands Inc. -- are identical gels in different packages. Each product consists of petrolatum (petroleum jelly), glycerin and so-called cationic molecules that the company declines to identify.
Users are instructed to apply a small dab of the gel underneath the nose and around the edge of the nostrils every four to six hours or as needed. According to the Allergen Block website, the gel works on the principle that opposites attract. Those cationic molecules are said to create a positive charge that pulls negatively charged allergens into the gel, where they presumably get stuck like little mammals in a tar pit.
Because the gel doesn't contain active drugs and isn't used internally, it isn't considered to be a medication. The Food and Drug Administration has officially approved it as a "device." The FDA approval process for devices is much less rigorous than it is for drugs. Prestige Brands didn't have to prove that the Allergen Block is effective. It merely had to make a case that it was "substantially equivalent" to other products already on the market.
Sold at major drug stores, a 0.1 ounce tube of either type of Allergen Block costs about $14. When used as directed, each tube is enough for about 150 applications.
The claims
The Allergen Block website claims that the gel protects against ragweed, pollen, dust mites, pet dander and house dust. It also claims that it helps prevent sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy nose and runny nose.
A television ad for Allergen Block says it "creates an invisible shield that helps block airborne allergens before they travel up your nose."
In a phone interview, the inventor of Allergen Block, Ashok Wahi, an engineer living in New Jersey, said that the gel dramatically relieved his daughter's cat allergies. "It worked for my daughter and a million other users," he said.
