Allergies are annoying at best, and debilitating at worst. Seasonal allergies might be nothing more than a sniffle and the occasional sneeze to some. Others have to deal with incredible discomfort, sleep loss, and fatigue because of it.
Asthma and allergies can display similar reactions. Allergens that affect the eyes and nose, for example, can also affect the throat and lungs. But what is happening when these reactions occur?
Essentially, your immune system identifies something harmless as something harmful. Antibodies bind themselves to an allergen such as pollen in an attempt to protect your body. The immune system then releases chemicals which show themselves as allergy symptoms; itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, etc. In the case of asthma, this reaction occurs in the lungs and airways.
The good news is allergy clinics in Nashville TN like the Otolaryngology Associates of Tennessee (OAT) can help with allergen-specific immunotherapy.
But what is immunotherapy? And does it work?
What is it?
The first use of immunotherapy is attributed to William B. Coley, MD, in 1891 in attempt to treat cancer remission by using the immune system. His system showed positive effects but was ultimately replaced by surgery and radiotherapy because the unknown aspects were too numerous.
Current day therapies are based on solid medical science. Allergen-specific immunotherapy involves exposing a patient to small doses of allergens. This exposure can be done either through shots or drops.
The dosages of the allergen are originally very small. These small doses are enough to stimulate the immune system without triggering a reaction. The patient is observed in the doctor’s office for thirty minutes after administering the treatment for signs of an adverse reaction.
Over the course of a few months, these dosages are slowly raised. The idea is to get the patient’s body to either tolerate the smaller doses or develop immunity to the allergen. The treatments increase until a full dose is tolerated. A maintenance period follows once the patient’s tolerance is built up. This period can last a few years. The patient is asked to come back and receive one shot per month to preserve their strengthened tolerance to the allergen.
A reduction in symptoms might be noticed during the initial building up stage. However, some won’t notice a change until around one year into the maintenance stage.
What Does It Treat?
Allergen-specific immunotherapy can treat environmental allergies like insect bites, allergic rhinitis (hay fever/seasonal allergies), and allergic asthma. It can be used to treat both children and adults. Children under the age of five are not typically recommended for immunotherapy because they are generally unable to articulate their symptoms and have difficulty cooperating. Older adults should consider other medical conditions such as cardiac disease before starting an immunotherapy program. Consulting an immunotherapist is the best way to ensure all considerations have been taken into account.
What Should I Know Beforehand?
Before starting an allergen-specific immunotherapy regimen, meet with an immunotherapist. Your doctor can administer a skin test to determine if your symptoms are caused by an allergy. And if so, which allergens are causing these symptoms. A skin test involves the doctor scratching or pricking a small amount of an allergen into your skin. The point of contact is then observed for swelling, itchiness, and redness. The existence of these reactions indicate an allergy to that particular substance.
Is it Effective?
Seasonal allergy symptoms are not going to stop immediately. Patients will occasionally see a short-term return but most success begins after the first year of treatment. Noticeable differences can be seen during the second year. By the third year, most patients become desensitized to the targeted allergen and don’t show symptoms of the previous allergy. Some people can stop treatments after a few years but those with more severe cases require ongoing treatments.
Asthma sufferers generally see a reduction in need for medication. Between 60% and 70% of the symptoms are reduced. Immunotherapy reduces the risk of developing new allergies. It also reduces an allergic child’s risk of developing asthma. After treatment, 85% of patients experience long lasting improvement in their asthmatic symptoms.
Those suffering from both seasonal allergies and allergic asthma experience a boost to their quality of life as a result of successful treatments.
Are There Risks?
Like any medical treatment, there are going to be a few possible side effects of immunotherapy. The most common is for the patient to experience redness, swelling, and itchiness at the site of injection. This can happen either immediately after the shot is administered or even a few hours later. Other possible symptoms are those similar to seasonal allergies; sneezing, hives, or nasal congestion.
Serious side effects are rare, but require immediate medical help. These reactions typically occur within 30 minutes of treatment. This is why it’s recommended that the patient remain at the doctor’s office during this time frame. This reaction is called anaphylaxis and can cause low blood pressure and trouble breathing.
If you’re having problems with seasonal allergies or allergic asthma, allergen-specific immunotherapy might be a great option.
