Botox already has well-documented cosmetic benefits, but a group of researchers hopes to show that the toxin can also treat a common malady that affects countless people: hay fever.

Preliminary tests showed that the drug is effective in treating the allergy, so researchers at the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia, will use Botox in a more extensive trial of 70 test subjects. In the trial, doctors will apply a gel form of Botox to the nose, which will be absorbed through the skin, potentially providing relief from sneezing, itchy eyes and runny noses for up to three months. It's hoped that the neurotoxin will deaden nerve endings and block the release of chemicals that contribute to hay fever symptoms.

But allergy sufferers shouldn't get too excited. Results of the study aren't expected to be fully analyzed until the middle of next year, so it'll likely be some time before Botox might be used in this way.

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