Know anyone complaining about Allergies?
I’m Dr. Steven Levine of ENT and Allergy Associates in Trumbull, and together with WICC600, bring you important medical news every Thursday morning.
Allergies and asthma are increasing yearly and already affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. There are three options for treating allergies and asthma: avoidance, medication and immunotherapy.
Avoidance is relatively easy for someone allergic only to just shrimp or clams. It’s nearly impossible for someone allergic to avoid inhalant allergens such as dust, mold, and pollens and avoid foods such as wheat and soy.
Allergy and asthma medications may make allergic patients feel better, but that’s just temporary. The medicines do not provide a cure of the underlying cause.
Allergy Immunotherapy reduces the underlying allergy, resulting in long-lasting benefit even after immunotherapy is stopped. It’s a vaccine that modifies the body’s immune system so that the treated individual becomes less allergic.
Allergy shots or subcutaneous immunotherapy has been around for almost 100 years. This treatment consists of administering a series of tiny allergy injections, which make you less allergic over time. Today, allergy shots are much more effective because of advances in medical knowledge.
Allergy drops or sublingual immunotherapy is much newer and involves administering a sweet tasting liquid under the tongue. The patient administers the vaccine themselves, and like shots significantly reduces allergy sensitivities.
For those of us who specialize in treating asthma and allergies, it is very exciting to have two effective ways to treat patients with immunotherapy, i.e., allergy shots administered in the doctor’s office or allergy drops which are administered at home.
A good website for more information is www E N T Allergy MD dot com.
I’m Dr. Steven Levine. You give us two minutes, and we’ll give you the latest updates in news about health and healthcare. For more about the doctors and services at ENT and Allergy Associates in Trumbull, on the web go to WICC600 dot com, and click on the experts tab.
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