Allergic rhinitis, also known as allergic rhinitis, refers to an allergic reaction in the nasal mucosa, i.e. an abnormal reaction in the nasal mucosa caused by an increased sensitivity to certain allergens, i.e. substances that cause allergies. According to the World Health Organization, about 10% to 25% of the world’s population suffers from allergic rhinitis, and the trend is increasing year by year. The main signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis are runny nose, nasal congestion, nasal itching and continuous sneezing, which are often mistaken for cold and flu. Conjunctival congestion, asthma and other accompanying symptoms may also occur, and in severe cases, work and study may be affected.
The treatment of allergic rhinitis generally requires oral antihistamines and local inhalation of glucocorticoid sprays in the nasal cavity under the guidance of a doctor, in addition to nasal decongestants and local laser or radiofrequency surgery in the nasal cavity. Nearly 100 years ago, two British doctors discovered that there were a lot of allergy patients during the pollen spreading season in London, England every year. In order to treat these patients, the two doctors took out the pollen and dissolved it in saline, then boiled it and injected the extracted ingredients into the patients. This gave birth to the method of desensitization (vaccine treatment). This method is similar to what we traditionally know as the flu vaccine, in that it uses the tissue structure of the pathogen to create an immune response in the body. Of course, there is a difference between the two. The source of the flu vaccine is mainly the flu virus, which is very clear, while the desensitization treatment for allergic rhinitis mainly uses the part of the substance that is presumed to cause an allergic reaction in the body.
The first step in allergic rhinitis desensitization is to determine what kind of substance the patient is allergic to, i.e., allergen testing. The doctor must first take a medical history, and if the patient has recently taken anti-allergy medication or anti-flu medication, the test cannot be done for the time being. The procedure of the test is to inject the test solution for different allergens subcutaneously on the inner forearm of the patient, and in about twenty minutes it will reveal what kind of substance the patient is allergic to, similar to the penicillin skin test. After the allergen is detected for a certain substance or major substances, desensitization treatment can be carried out for the detected allergens, so-called “desensitization”, which means that through repeated exposure to these allergic substances in small doses, the body’s ability to adapt to these allergic substances is improved, so some people also call it This is why some people call it “desensitization”. Have you heard of the saying that people who cannot drink alcohol can improve their drinking capacity by drinking one small glass a day for a period of time? Desensitization treatment has similarities to this.
The process of allergen vaccination is generally like this: the first four months of treatment are subcutaneous injections at a certain dose once a week, and later it may be once every two or three months. The entire course of treatment takes 2-3 years and requires a total of about fifty injections. The effectiveness of this treatment is usually known after a few months of injections, and if it is determined to be effective, the full course of injections can be given. At the end of the treatment, some patients are surprised to find that their allergic rhinitis is completely cured.
However, readers should be reminded that desensitization is not a cure-all. Although it is one of the possible ways to eradicate allergic rhinitis, its complete cure rate is only 50% or even lower, and the effective rate is generally considered to be around 70-85%. If the patient has too many allergens, this treatment method will be limited to some extent as well.
In conclusion, specific desensitization therapy is one of the current treatments for allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. It involves identifying the allergens that cause allergic reactions in patients, making extracts of various concentrations of the allergens, and repeatedly injecting them into patients or repeatedly contacting them through other means, in small to large doses and low to high concentrations, in order to improve the patients’ tolerance to such specific allergic substances. tolerance to such specific allergic substances, which can play a certain preventive and therapeutic role. However, it applies to exogenous asthma, allergens must also be clear, and must be adhered to for 2 to 3 years or longer. Most patients are allergic to many substances, which cannot all be made into extracts for injection, and different body types react differently to these extracts, so the efficacy is not consistent. desensitization therapy must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.
Of course, desensitization does not exclude medication, which is still very important for many patients with allergic rhinitis. Even with the application of this vaccine, for some patients it is necessary to apply medication at the same time to control the symptoms.
In addition, allergic rhinitis is not just a reaction in the nose, but is now considered to be part of a systemic disease. When treating allergic rhinitis, it is important to check at the hospital if it is combined with a significant deviation of the nasal septum or if there are nasal polyps. If any of these diseases are present, surgical treatment is required.