Eric Morgan asked:

Here are some basic answers to questions you may have regarding allergen immunotherapy, also known as “allergy shots.”

Allergen immunotherapy is a treatment designed to decrease nasal allergies (also known as allergic rhinitis), allergic asthma and reactions caused by insect stings. Specific allergens are identified through allergy testing, so the allergist first knows what is causing the allergy symptoms, in order to effectively treat them. After the culprit has been identified, allergen immunotherapy involves getting injections of increasing amounts of specific allergens over the course of several months.

Does Immunology Work?

Aside from decreasing allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose and congestion, Immunotherapy can help prevent the development of new allergies. In children, Immunotherapy can help prevent allergic rhinitis from progressing into asthma. Even after the treatments have stopped, allergen immunotherapy often leads to long-lasting relief of allergy symptoms.

Many studies have shown that immunotherapy is effective for the treatment of nasal allergies, for both adults and children. A review of 18 published studies involving nearly 800 patients concluded that immunotherapy is highly effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. An extensive review of immunotherapy as a treatment for allergic rhinitis in children, showed that the only treatment able to affect the natural cause of the disease is immunotherapy. Studies showing the effectiveness of immunotherapy suggest that roughly 8 out of 10 allergy patients benefit significantly from immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy may also prevent the onset of asthma, and a review of multiple studies showed that allergen immunotherapy is also an effective treatment for asthma. These studies have indicated that treatment with immunotherapy results in reduced symptoms of asthma and improved pulmonary functions, and at the same time, reduces the need for asthma medications.

For individuals with a previously demonstrated allergic susceptibility to insect stings, immunization with insect venom is an extremely effective treatment for preventing future allergic reactions. A review of nine published studies indicates that a course of immunotherapy is highly effective in the management of insect sting allergy. Immunology can be a great alternative if you have any of the following concerns:

Poor response to medications

Impractical or impossible to avoid the offending allergens

Negative medication side effects

Wanting to avoid long-term medications or reduce the cost of medications

Coexisting allergic rhinitis and asthma

Possible prevention of asthma in children

Individuals with allergic asthma

If Immunotherapy Works Why Doesn’t Everyone Do It?

People who have very light symptoms or have found an effective medication that eliminates symptoms, may not need immunotherapy. For others, the time and commitment involved in starting and undergoing immunotherapy can be seen as an obstacle, especially when looking for a “quick fix”. In time however, more and more patients are realizing that the long-term benefits of immunotherapy are much better than having to be on medications for the rest of their life.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Receiving Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is recommended for those with allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis (involving various nasal symptoms) and conjunctivitis, or stinging insect allergy. It may be the best option for those who have difficulty controlling symptoms through avoidance or medication. Other considerations are that you do not like the side effects of allergy medication, the allergy medications are inconvenient, or having to take multiple medications in order to control symptoms. Immunotherapy is not recommended for those with food allergies. The best treatment for severe food allergies is to strictly avoid the offending food. The decision to begin immunotherapy will be based on several factors including:

Length of allergy season and how severe symptoms are.

How well medications and/or environmental controls take care of the allergy symptoms.

Wanting to avoid long-term reliance on medication.

Immunotherapy will require a significant time commitment-are you willing to make the commitment to the therapy?

Cost: may vary depending on insurance coverage.

Will Insurance Pay For Immunology?

Most insurance companies and HMOs will pay for immunotherapy, especially if your primary care doctor refers you to an allergist and the allergist recommends immunotherapy as part of your treatment. Even patients with milder symptoms may be recommended immunotherapy to avoid worsening of symptoms, particularly if they cannot always avoid the things they are allergic to, such as a family pet, bee stings, or specific native plants.

Who Is a Good Candidate for receiving immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is recommended for those with allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis (involving various nasal symptoms) and conjunctivitis, or stinging insect allergy. It may be the best option for those who have difficulty controlling symptoms through avoidance or medication. Other considerations are that you do not like the side effects of allergy medication, the allergy medications are inconvenient, or having to take multiple medications in order to control symptoms. Immunotherapy is not recommended for those with food allergies. The best treatment for severe food allergies is to strictly avoid the offending food. The decision to begin immunotherapy will be based on several factors including:

Length of allergy season and how severe symptoms are.

How well medications and/or environmental controls take care of the allergy symptoms.

Wanting to avoid long-term reliance on medication.

Immunotherapy will require a significant time commitment-are you willing to make the commitment to the therapy?

Cost: may vary depending on insurance coverage.

How Is the Treatment Administered?

A very small hypodermic syringe is used to inject commercial allergen extracts. The injections are usually at the site of the loose tissue over the back of the upper arm, between the shoulder and elbow. This area is the least painful site for injection as there are very few nerve endings. Injections are given under the skin (“subcutaneous”). When administered correctly, the injections should only be slightly uncomfortable. They are not usually painful, and are well tolerated by adults, teenagers and most children. You may be advised to take an antihistamine a few hours before each injection to reduce the likelihood of any local allergic reaction and other side effects.

Can Young Children Receive Immunotherapy?

Children over the age of 5 may be good candidates for the therapy. Very young child will likely have difficulty cooperating with the immunotherapy regimen. However, immunotherapy can be a good option for children in general. Studies suggest that immunotherapy treatments may prevent the development of new allergies in children, and may help prevent the development of asthma in children who have rhinitis.

Is There an Age Limit to Receiving Immunotherapy?

Not really. Anyone from age 5 on up may benefit from receiving immunotherapy. With elderly persons, consideration should be given to the overall health and chronic medical conditions (such as cardiac disease), which could potentially cause problems. However most healthy children and adults can benefit from Immunotherapy treatments.

Where Does the Immunotherapy Take Place?

Ideally, immunotherapy should always be given in the prescribing allergist/immunologist’s office/clinic. If this is not possible for some extenuating circumstance, your allergist/immunologist should provide the supervising physician with all needed information about your specific treatment. Either way, you must always be in the care of an appropriate medical professional, who is qualified to administer Immunotherapy.

troy saunders asked:


The word allergy is derived from the Greek words “allos,” meaning different or changed and “ergos,” meaning work or action. Allergy roughly alludes to an “altered reaction.”

An allergy alludes to an exaggerated reaction by our immune mechanism replying to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. Allergic peoples’s bodies recognize the foreign substance and one part of the immune mechanism is turned on. Allergy-producing substances are called “allergens.” Examples of allergens include pollens, dust mite, molds, danders, and foods. To comprehend the language of allergy it is necessary to recollect that allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and may cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

The immune mechanism is the body’s arranged defensive mechanism against foreign invaders, particularly infections. Its job is to recognize and react to these foreign substances, which are called antigens. The purpose of the immune mechanism is to muster its forces at the site of invasion and destroy the enemy. One of the strategies it does this is to create protecting proteins called antibodies that are specifically targeted against particular foreign substances.

When an allergen comes in contact with the body, it causes the immune mechanism to develop an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to it. When you inappropriately react to allergens that are normally harmless to folk, you are having an allergic reaction and can be called allergic or atopic.

Allergic Rhinitis.

Year round or evergreen allergic rhinitis is typically due to indoor allergens, like dust mites, animal dander, or molds. It can also be due to pollens. Symptoms result from the inflammation of the tissues that line the interior of the nose (mucus lining or surfaces ) after allergens are inhaled.

Asthma.

Asthma is a breathing problem that results from the inflammation and spasm of the lung’s air passages (bronchial tubes). The inflammation causes a narrowing of the air passages, which limits the flow of air into and out of the lungs.

This condition is frequently related to allergic rhinitis or asthma.

Hives.

Hives ( urticaria ) are skin reactions that appear as itchy swellings and can occur on any bit of the body. Hives can be due to an allergic reaction, like to a food or medicine, but they also may occur in non-allergic people.

Allergic Eyes.

Allergic eyes (allergic conjunctivitis) is inflammation of the tissue layers (membranes) that cover the skin of the eyeball and the undersurface of the eyelid. The inflammation occurs as a consequence of an allergic reaction

Allergic Shock.

Allergic shock ( anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock ) is a potentially terminal allergic reaction that will affect a number of organs at the same time. This reply usually happens when the allergen is eaten (for example, foods ) or injected (for example, a bee sting).

Master The Technique of Controlling Allergies at HealthyLivingDigest.com

Tom alter asked:


Bronchial asthma is a disease that is influenced considerably by several factors. This is a disease which is prevalent all over the world. It is generally seen that the boys of younger age groups have more severe case of the symptoms of the disease than the girls. The factors which have a great effect on the asthmatic conditions are:

Hereditary factors: Genetics seems to play an important role in the asthma patients. The heredity factors of occurrence of disease in one or both the parents and prevalence in the family history have repeatedly been shown to have considerable influence on the occurrence of asthma. It is seen that the rate of occurrence of disease almost doubles if both the parents have asthma. The symptoms also start to manifest at a much earlier stage in life. When the asthma is of extrinsic type, which means that the symptoms appear due to some allergens it may also be seen that the patients develop symptoms not necessarily of asthma but of other diseases as well. These diseases may be of infectious or non-infectious variety. The children of parents having asthma are very prone to other related disorders also.

Infection factors: Certain infections lead to development of symptoms similar to asthma. These are a bad bout of cold and chest congestion or any other kind of bronchial infection. These symptoms develop vigorously in children. The symptoms of wheezing and breathlessness are very predominantly seen. After the infection is suppressed the chest becomes normal again and the child stops showing the symptoms. Infectious and non-infectious diseases like pneumonia, measles, whooping cough, tonsils, and adenoids can show symptoms of asthma in very early stages of life. In the individuals who are prone to allergies symptoms of asthma can develop very quickly as a response to the presence of the allergen. The sensitivity to the allergen can also trigger off an infection. Thus a vicious cycle is formed where one can influence the other and the symptoms manifest rapidly.

The patients of allergic rhinitis (repeated sneezing) and asthma also have excessive secretions from the nose and the lungs. These are fertile feeding and breeding grounds for micro organisms and thus catching further infections also becomes very feasible. This is the reason why the people suffering with rhinitis and asthma are more prone to catching all kinds of bronchial infections. Some of these may lead to conditions of emphysema also in extreme cases. This is also the reason why both the infections as well as the allergy have to be treated side by side to ensure proper recovery. Unless and until this is done complete recovery may not be a possibility at all.

Emotional factors: Sometimes conditions related with excessive manifestation of emotions also trigger off a reaction in the form of symptoms similar to that of asthma. Generally it is also seen that such individuals also have an inclination towards allergies and anxiety related disorders. When the person is inclined towards allergic reactions certain emotionally charged situations just act as a trigger and create mild to severe asthmatic reactions in the body. Similarly if the person is prone towards very sensitive emotional disposition, the fact that the asthmatic reactions make themselves manifest is quite well known. This leads to difficulty in diagnosis and further in treating the symptoms adequately also. For this it is imperative that the doctors identify all the causes and then rule out all the possibilities one by one before coming to final treatment plans. These kind of asthmatic reactions are very prevalent in ladies and children who are subject to extreme emotional conditions like death or accident in the family.

Climatic factors: It is usually seen that the asthmatics get better adjusted to dry climates than the hot and humid ones. This is to say that colder, hilly terrains are much better for the asthmatics rather than the sea coast areas. But there are no rules as such because some people show lesser manifestation of symptoms near the sea coast than in the hilly areas. There are several climatic factors that come into play where asthma is concerned and different people may agree to different situations. Some climatic factors that play an important role are wind, atmospheric pressure and changes in altitude. Heavy winds may induce difficulty in breathing in some people. Also direction of winds may also be a cause of concern. Sudden drop in the atmospheric pressures can lead to severe symptoms of asthma in many patients. This kind of drop is generally seen before a thunderstorm and can cause severe aggravation of the symptoms. Some people develop a distinct lessening of symptoms when they go to places of higher altitudes. This is generally attributed to a change of environment than to any other thing and was the preferred mode of treatment in the yesteryears.

Occupational factors: Generally patients with extrinsic asthma that is due to allergens have more manifestation of symptoms when they are in occupations where they are continuously exposed to allergens like farmers who have pollen allergy can have aggravated symptoms. Workers in a factory area may develop asthma due to the effluents or raw materials. The symptoms shown are quite varied and may take a while to manifest after an initial exposure to the allergens.

Tom alter asked:


Some people who inherit an allergy sensitive background develop certain allergies from time to time. These allergies may be due to many environmental factors and sometimes symptoms of asthma are also impersonated by them. Some common forms of these allergic reactions may be seasonal while others may be perennial in nature.

It is important to understand the differences between these and asthma so that they are never confused with asthma because their treatments as well the severity both differ from each other. Seasonal sneezing is called seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever in the common parlance. As against the name it is not caused because of hay but because of certain pollutants mainly certain kinds of pollen in the environment to which a person may be allergic.

In contrast to these people some others suffer with sneezing bouts, stuffy or running nose almost all the year round. These people suffer from perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis. When these people are exposed to cold wind, sunlight, dust and fumes the symptoms of the sneezing bouts precipitate.

In hay fever or seasonal allergic rhinitis the symptoms appear gradually or all of a sudden. This depends upon the degree of exposure to the offending allergen and also upon the degree to which the person may be allergic to them. When the symptoms appear gradually they are accompanied with mild sensation of itching and burning of the eyes and mild irritation in the nose or itching of the palate inside the mouth.

The symptoms usually appear in the early morning hours when the concentration of pollen grains is at its peak. The sneezing bouts are also accompanied with marked increase in the nasal congestion, throat congestion, running of the nose profusely and watery eyes. The nasal mucous membrane becomes highly sensitive with advancement of symptoms and any slight change in the nasal mucous membrane manifests in heavy bouts of sneezing.

These changes may be of very slight nature like appearance of a draft, strong odours, or even minute quantities of dust. In addition to these symptoms there may be appearance of other associated symptoms like general lethargy, loss of appetite, drowsiness and also pain in the body with slight rise in temperature.

In some patients in addition to the above mentioned conditions the symptoms of bronchial asthma also develop side by side making the conditions worse. These symptoms either develop right from the start of the other symptoms or may develop later as the disease advances. The worse part is that once a person starts with these symptoms he may continue with the symptoms of asthma even after the sneezing attacks stop.

This condition can be very easily diagnosed with the study of the case history of the patient. The tests usually undertaken to identify the pollens are skin tests with extracts of the pollen and scratch or intracutaneous tests giving positive reactions to the pollens simultaneously with a confirmation of the same through consultation of the pollen calendar.

Once the offending pollen is identified the effect of it can be controlled efficiently by hypo sensitization tests. Treatment with antihistamine tablets generally proves to be every effective. But it is only a temporary resort. The allergen has to be properly identified and then treated accordingly with preventive measures and drug therapy if need be.

Taking preventive action to overcome seasonal sneezing attacks is very important. For this undue exposure in a particular season should be completely avoided. Outdoor activities like tending to the garden or farming should not be done. The windows of the rooms should be kept closed as far as possible to avoid exposure to the allergen. In extreme cases using air conditioning may be the only way out.

The patients of perennial sneezing or perennial allergic rhinitis have sneezing, running nose, blocked or stuffy nose and nasal discharge almost all the year round. These people many – a – times are found to be snoring at night and are in the habit of breathing through the mouth. They have discomfort in the ears because of blockage in the ear tubes that open in the throat.

These are called Eustachian tubes. When the irritation persists for a long time a person tends to rub the nose vigorously and repeatedly. This leads to development of a crease across the nose called the allergic crease. Some paranasal sinuses may also get blocked leading to accumulation of secretions.

When the ear, nose and throat get infected repeatedly there may be accompanying fever. Exposure to irritants like cold wind, sunlight, dust, fumes and smoke all lead to aggravation of the symptoms. These symptoms usually occur in the early morning hours and then the symptoms may continue throughout the day and even at night. The symptoms in severe cases may resemble symptoms of asthma accompanied with bronchial spasm and suffocation.

The condition is generally diagnosed after studying the family history of allergy. The lab test of eosinophil count is a must to come to concrete conclusions. Skin test of pollen and other allergens is necessary in case the eosinophil count is normal. Treatment with antihistamines helps very limited people. Nasal drops may provide temporary relief but they should be used very sparingly as they work on the principle of cauterization, that is burning o the mucous membrane of the nose so that the nasal passage becomes insensitive. Hyposensitization works efficiently and surgery may be used in very extreme cases only.