There are four elements for dealing with allergies: medical treatment, specific diagnosis, avoidance and immunotherapy treatment. Initial Management of allergic patients is MEDICAL, & may include use of antihistamines, decongestants, and/or intranasal steroids sprays.This is a reasonable and effective approach in many patients. For each of these, we’ve developed a range of innovative treatments.
However, in some cases, the symptoms are excessive and not adequately controlled by routine medication, or the frequency and severity of symptoms may require almost continuous medication.
In such cases, IMMUNOTHERAPY is an excellent option.
There is ample evidence globally that correct diagnosis using skin prick tests and initiation of appropriate immunotherapy can reduce the requirements of anti-histaminics, steroids and topical medication.
Allergen immunotherapy which is guided by a careful allergy diagnosis may be especially beneficial when avoidance and medications no longer control the patient's symptoms.
The ONLY known way of changing the course of allergic disease is by IMMUNOTHERAPY. Immunotherapy is the method of administering purified and concentrated proteins of the substance that the patient is allergic to, and gradually increasing the dosage till tolerance is reached. AIT can help patients to slowly build up a tolerance to the allergen.
Allergen-specific Immunotherapy products are all 100% natural. IMMUNOTHERAPY CONTAINS NO ANTIBIOTICS, ANTI-HISTAMINICS OR STEROIDS.
It has been proven in world literature that immunotherapy reduces the need for traditional allopathic medication in the form of antihistaminic & steroids. It is also postulated that early treatment of allergy in asthma prevents the progress of more severe forms of allergy in later years.
74% of patients required less than 3 periodic topical and systemic steroid courses per year over a 3 year period.
The way immunotherapy works is to reduce the production of IgE cells in the body, and increasing “Blocking Antibodies,”promoting tolerance to the allergen in question. It does this by stimulating the production of ‘regulatory cells’ which counteract the potential reactions. IMMUNOTHERAPY HAS TO BE CONTINUED FOR A MINIMUM OF 3 YEARS. The beneficial effects of treatment can last for up to 10 years, or longer in some patients; it can even eradicate allergies for good in some cases. In few other patients the treatment will need to be repeated after a few years.
In patients with significantly discomforting or disabling symptoms that are NOT CONTROLLED with standard measures, surgery may also rarely be prescribed as an option. WHERE NASAL OBSTRUCTION IS A PREDOMINANT SYMPTOM, SURGERY REMAINS THE METHOD OF CHOICE FOR AIRWAY CORRECTION.
Surgery may involve any or all of the following:
Septoplasty - Altering the shape of the central partition of the nose to allow the patient to breathe better
Reduction of the turbinate size to reduce the sensitivity and increasing the space for better breathing Ablation of the vidian nerve (the nerve responsible for a hyper-reactive nose) Re-establishment of blocked pathways for the sinuses to aerate by performing Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (allow sufficient oxygen and/or topical medications to enter).
EVIDENCE REGARDING IMMUNOTHERAPY :
Allergen immunotherapy recommended for secondary development of asthma, recommendation that SLIT is safer than SCIT....slit can be used in children and adults with pollen rhinitis. ARIA GUIDELINES UPDATED IN 2010
Allergen immunotherapy has a disease modifying effect, and not only reduces the symptoms but helps stop progress of the disease.it has long lasting benefits, even after cessation of the therapy. European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, EAACI. European declaration on immunotherapy 2011
SLIT in optimal doses IS EFFECTIVE and may induce remission after discontinuation, and prevent new sensitisations, features consistent with induction of tolerance. SLIT - WAO Paper 2009 canonica et al
