Allergy Immunotherapy Treatment Options
Have you ever walked into your garden and then suddenly you experienced continuous coughing and sneezing? This could be occasionally followed by irritation on the nose or the throat if you are coughing. This could be an allergy. Allergy specialists have found out that allergies are a major cause of illnesses in most parts of the world. Nevertheless, what exactly is an allergy?
An allergy is a reaction of the Immune system to a foreign substance. In most cases, the foreign substance is not typically harmful to the body. A foreign substance that leads to an allergic reaction is referred to as an allergen. This can be something like a pollen grain, pet dander or even certain foods.
So, is there a treatment for allergy? Yes, there are different treatment options that can eliminate the problem. In this article, we feature allergy immunology treatment options.
What is Immunotherapy?
This is a desensitization of the immune system to specific allergens. In other words, this allergy treatment approach involves making the body less sensitive to the allergens that cause or trigger the coughing or sneezing that you experience. For instance, if you experience allergic asthma, the allergy specialist in Hawaii can induce treatment through allergy asthma immunology.
Before deciding the particular allergy immunology treatment option to administer to a patient, the allergy specialist will perform allergy testing to confirm the sensitivity. Once the underlying cause is determined, then the treatment option is then decided. Here are the different allergy immunology treatment options available today.
Allergy Shots / Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT)
The allergy shots are the most common form of allergy-immunology. The treatment option is also the most effective form of allergy treatment according to a recent report. The Subcutaneous Immunotherapy provides symptomatic relief to the patient and modifies the allergic disease. This is through targeting the immunological mechanism that causes the condition. The Subcutaneous Immunotherapy is a common allergy asthma immunology induced on patients who develop allergy related asthmatic conditions. It is also a comm. On therapy for allergenic reactions resulting from rhinitis, and in case of an insect sting. This treatment approach has been practiced on allergy patients for over a decade now.
The Subcutaneous Immunotherapy is often administered on the upper arm and targets the subcutaneous space in the mid-posterolateral. While administering this treatment, the allergy specialist needs to mind the case of injections intramuscularly. This can increase the risk of anaphylaxis. Therefore, patients seeking Subcutaneous Immunotherapy are advised to contact only highly trained allergy treatment Hawaii.
Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)
Another common treatment used by allergy clinicians is the Sublingual Immunotherapy, which is also an effective regimen. Clinicians also refer to this treatment as allergy drops. The Sublingual Immunotherapy has been declared an effective and safe alternative treatment for allergic reactions. The treatment involves putting drops of allergen extracts under the tongue. The Sublingual Immunotherapy can also involve the use of tablets that are placed under the tongue and either swallowed or they are spat out. Swallowing the SLIT dose might cause gastrointestinal side effects, which might include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The dose is often administered twice or once in a day.
However, when swallowed, the gastrointestinal tract can tolerate the foreign substance. The Sublingual Immunotherapy is an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis as well as allergic conjunctivitis. However, it is not a very effective allergy asthma immunology. Over the decades that this treatment has been used, its safety is well documented. There have not been any mild side effects reported. Only moderate side effects have been reported.
The approach has been used for several decades in Europe and in the US; it is becoming a common treatment. There have been claims raised regarding this treatment approach, as Food and Drug Administration experts do not approve some of the allergy drops used. Note that the insurance cover might not cover you for treatment using the “off label” approach.
Comparison between Sublingual Immunotherapy and Subcutaneous Immunotherapy
The Subcutaneous Immunotherapy or the traditional allergy shots are a proven therapy for allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis. The Subcutaneous Immunotherapy can also be used as allergy asthma immunology and venom allergy. The allergy shots have been FDA approved for many years that they have been administered.
On the other side, some Sublingual Immunotherapy tablets are not yet FDA approved. These are therefore considered an experimental therapy. This has led to allergy shots being labeled as safer treatment. In addition, studies show that allergy shots probably work about twice as allergy drops. The medical insurance covers favor the allergy shots over the Sublingual Immunotherapy tablets. This means that the patients might end up spending money from their pockets for the allergy drops.
Are you looking for the best allergy treatment in Hawaii? Contact us today! We are a highly qualified team of allergy specialists in Hawaii.