Immunotherapy

What is Allergen Immunotherapy?

Allergen immunotherapy (also known as AIT or desensitisation) changes the way the immune system reacts to allergens such as pollens and dust mites.

Allergen immunotherapy:

Involves the regular administration of doses of commercially available allergen preparations, usually over a period of three to five years. 

These can be given as monthly injections (subcutaneous), always administered in a GP clinic.

Or as daily oral doses of tablets or sprays under the tongue (sublingual), at home. 

This can take up to two seasons or two years before a difference in symptoms is noticed. 

But on completion of the immunotherapy, it can result in five to ten years of tolerance to allergens with fewer or no symptoms.

Allergy medicines, such as antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroid sprays, can be used to help manage symptoms when receiving allergen immunotherapy.

When is Allergen immunotherapy recommended?

Allergen immunotherapy is:

Currently only recommended for the treatment of hay fever, due to grass and tree pollen, animal dander, moulds and/ or dust mite allergy when symptoms are severe.

Recommended when the cause is difficult to avoid, such as grass pollen.

Recommended when medications do not help or cause adverse side effects, or when people prefer to avoid medications.

How is Allergen immunotherapy started?

The Allergy Doctors can initiate allergen immunotherapy, after conducting an allergy consultation to determine if it is indicated and also safe for you to take.

Before starting allergen immunotherapy:

We require that any existing health issues are stable e.g. but not limited to Asthma, Blood pressure. If they are not we will ask you to consult your usual GP first.

We will check that none of your existing medications interact with the immunotherapy e.g Certain heart or blood pressure medicines or glaucoma eye drops.

We do not initiate immunotherapy when you are trying for pregnancy or are pregnant.

Is immunotherapy available for other conditions?

Immunotherapy for inhaled allergens is not in routine practice for the treatment of eczema.

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) to switch off food allergy is being researched and is in some clinical programs led by clinical immunology/allergy specialists. People with diagnosed food allergy must avoid the food trigger unless they are part of an OIT research study or program.

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The Allergy Doctors
Wanaka Lakes Health Centre
23 Cardrona valley Road
Wanaka 9305
Email: admin@allergydoctors.co.nz
Phone: 027 321 8400
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