Allergic desensitization therapy gradually exposes patients to increasing doses of allergens to develop immunological tolerance. This retrains the immune system to recognize allergens as harmless substances, effectively eliminating allergies for five or more years. The therapy is administered through injection or sublingual administration and has minimal side effects.
Allergic desensitization is a form of therapy that aims to weaken a patient’s allergic reactions by exposing them to gradually increasing doses of allergens. Through this procedure, patients are believed to naturally develop an immunological tolerance to the substances to which they are allergic. Allergens are often introduced into the patient’s system by injection, although treatment can also be administered sublingually. If successful, allergic desensitization therapy can effectively eliminate allergies for five or more years.
This form of therapy is based on the principle that allergies are caused by a malfunction of the immune system. Allergens are harmless substances that are mistakenly recognized by an individual’s body as disease-causing cells, which alert the immune system to produce the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE then binds to mast cells and basophils in the system, producing chemicals that cause the allergic reaction.
Through allergic desensitization, doctors attempt to “retrain” the immune system to recognize allergens as harmless substances. In initial allergic desensitization treatments, the doses of allergens introduced into the body are so small that they do not elicit a response from the immune system. The dosage then increases in small increments, possibly conditioning the immune system not to react to even high doses of the allergen. After up to six months of weekly allergic desensitization treatments, the therapy switches to monthly maintenance shots over the next few years.
The allergen is introduced into the system through injection or sublingual administration. For example, an individual being treated for a peanut allergy might be injected with allergy shots containing the substance found in peanuts that causes the allergic reaction. Alternatively, the allergen could also be placed under the tongue, where it can be absorbed directly through the blood vessels in the area. Sublingual administration is recommended for patients with very low pain thresholds.
Although the exact mechanisms underlying allergic desensitization therapy work have yet to be fully discovered, the results are generally favorable enough to be encouraging. Most patients report long-term elimination of the allergy, with minimal side effects of treatment. The most common side effects are minor allergic reactions, to be expected when doses of the allergen are introduced into the system. Serious side effects only occur when the patient has pre-existing systemic disease or is taking medications that may interfere with treatment. It is recommended that any individual considering an allergic desensitization treatment first consult with their physician regarding the safety of the procedure.
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