User:Mar485!123/Immunotherapy

Allergen Immunotherapy
Main article: Allergy immunotherapy

Immunotherapy can be a useful tool to treat allergies. Allergy treatments (such as antihistamines or corticosteroids) treat allergic symptoms. This means that these treatments are used to combat and reduce symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, or hives. Dissimilarly, immunotherapy can reduce sensitivity to allergens, lessening its severity. This is done through a gradual introduction to the substance or allergen to which a person is allergic. The incremental increase in dosage allows the immune system to become less sensitive (desensitize the patient) and thus reduce symptoms for future encounters with the allergen. The therapy is indicated for people who are extremely allergic or who cannot avoid specific allergens. Immunotherapy can also reduce inflammation caused by asthma and rhinitis. Before treatment can begin, the trigger factor for the allergy symptoms must be identified. To confirm the allergen the individual is allergic to, skin or blood tests are done to make sure antibodies are present.

There are three main types of allergy treatment methods. These include: allergy shots, Sublingual (under the tongue) Immunotherapy (SLIT), and Medications (decongestants and antihistamines). Allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy, SCIT) are the most effective and commonly used form of immunotherapy. A small amount of the allergen is extracted and injected into the arm. This is the only treatment that alters the immune system. SLIT is an alternative to allergy shots that does not involve injections. Tablets are the only form of SLIT that is FDA approved. The tablets are placed under the tongue and then swallowed. Over time this is meant to reduce symptoms through graduated exposure.

A promising approach to treat food allergies is the use of oral immunotherapy (OIT). OIT involves feeding an allergic individual increasing amounts of a food allergen in order to raise the threshold which triggers a reaction. This technique has been tested on infants to prevent peanut allergies, however it is not FDA approved for asthma and increases the likelihood of an individual needing epinephrine.