How are allergic diseases treated?
The World Health Organization recommends a “four-pronged approach” to the treatment of allergic diseases, namely allergen avoidance where possible, medication, specific immunotherapy (desensitization) and patient education.
Medication.
Advantages provide symptom relief. Limitations of medication: symptoms tend to recur after discontinuation of medication, does not modify the natural course of the disease, and lacks a preventive effect.
Desensitization therapy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) clearly states that desensitization is the only allopathic treatment for allergic diseases, and it can also prevent allergic rhinitis from developing into asthma, which has both preventive and curative effects. Desensitization is also known as specific immunotherapy, which is a treatment to reduce allergic reactions to allergens by repeated subcutaneous injections of allergen extracts to patients with allergies, resulting in reduced or even no symptoms after re-exposure to the allergen.
Benefits of desensitization treatment.
1.Reduces or disappears allergy symptoms, reduces the frequency of asthma and rhinitis attacks, and improves the quality of life of the family.
2.Reduces the use of hormones and other symptomatic drugs, effectively avoiding adverse reactions caused by long-term medication, especially the possible effects on the growth and development of children.
3.Prevent the transformation of allergic rhinitis into asthma.
4.Improve the allergic constitution and block the generation of new allergies.
5.After the end of desensitization treatment, the long-term effect can be maintained.
6.Save the total medical cost.
How long does the course of desensitization treatment take?
The initial treatment consists of one injection per week, which is gradually increased from the starting amount to the maintenance amount, and takes about 4-6 months, while the maintenance treatment consists of one injection every 4-6 weeks, for a total treatment period of about 3 years.
What is the efficacy of desensitization treatment?
Dust mite desensitization therapy, for example, can significantly reduce asthma symptoms, reduce the amount of asthma medication used, and reduce skin sensitization to dust mite allergens.
Are there any side effects of desensitization treatment?
Desensitization therapy is a standardized vaccine that is not metabolized by the liver and kidneys. Individual patients may experience redness and itching at the local injection site, and very few patients may experience asthma and rhinitis, which are quickly controlled by symptomatic treatment. Side effects of systemic allergy are extremely rare.
Depending on the severity of asthma and rhinitis and the progress of desensitization treatment, medication for asthma or rhinitis will be adjusted at the doctor’s discretion. As the effectiveness of the desensitization treatment becomes apparent, the dosage of other related medications is gradually reduced. In order to prevent further development of the disease, desensitization therapy should be carried out as early as possible to get rid of asthma and improve the quality of life.