Pollen, shellfish, peanuts, mites. The list of allergens is unfortunately long. And to escape at least unpleasant reactions, there are not many solutions. Avoidance is one. Desensitization is another.
You will also be interested
[EN VIDÉO] Venom to treat diabetes, obesity and allergies In the south of Belgium, a research team is working on a somewhat unusual subject. By using venom taken from wild animals, scientists hope to develop treatments against diabetes, allergies or obesity. The Euronews channel tells us more during this episode of Futuris.
Runny, itchy nose. The eyes red. Sneezing. In certain circumstances, the allergies can really poison life. In spring or when in contact with animals or dust. In these cases in particular, it is sometimes difficult to implement an allergen avoidance strategy. So to fight against these symptoms unpleasant to say the least, there are so-called drugs antihistamines.
But the desensitization — still called immunotherapy specific — is to date the only treatment that can truly get rid of allergies. This technique is now recognized and codified by an international consensus, established by experts under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO). And only one allergist can perform specific immunotherapy.
Its principle? Minimize the body’s sensitivity to a allergen given, by gradually modulating the immune response towards the latter. Because remember, allergies occur when our immune system reacts inappropriately in the presence of a given substance.
An effective, but long-term treatment
The treatment therefore consists in administering increasing doses — infinitesimal at the start — of the allergen concerned, in order to educate, in a way, our immune system and to prevent its abnormal reactions. It is administered either subcutaneously — once a week in an allergist’s office — using a syringe with a very short needle, or sublingually — at home, every morning, on an empty stomach per through a stamp or drops of allergen solution. After a so-called initial phase comes a maintenance phase during which the maximum dose tolerated by the person is administered at regular intervals.
Specific immunotherapy can be proposed from the age of 5 years. But it assumes of course that the responsible allergen has been clearly identified beforehand and that the eviction measures classics have been adopted. A process which again, cannot do without the assistance of an allergist.
Finally, note that desensitization to an allergy requires patience, as it must be spread over a period of 3 to 5 years. Nevertheless, the patient will feel real benefits from it from the first year. And this treatment has proven its worth, particularly with regard to wasp venom and bees or allergies to animals but also the pneumallergens that are mites or the pollens of grassesherbaceous ortrees.
Interested in what you just read?
Subscribe to the newsletter Health question of the week : our answer to a question you ask yourself (more or less secretly). All our newsletters