What Is Allergy Desensitization?

Desensitization, a medical term, is a method used to treat type I hypersensitivity reactions caused by specific allergens, that is, by injecting a small amount of allergens, induce the sensitized cells to release only a small amount of active media without causing obvious clinical symptoms.

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Type allergy is caused by

Specific desensitization therapy

Specificity

In 1909, Noon succeeded in treating pollen rhinitis with autoimmune method, and opened a new era of immunotherapy. After more than half a century of practice, immunotherapy has shown certain clinical effects, but since the 1980s, as a result of several deaths in the United Kingdom due to the injection of immunotherapy preparations, the relevant government agencies have ordered a total ban on immunotherapy. .

In 1986, Scadding and Brostoff successfully used sublingual desensitization therapy (sublingual specific immunotherapy (SLIT)) for the first time to successfully treat allergic rhinitis, which revived hope for immunotherapy.

In 1992, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed through evidence-based medicine that immunotherapy for type I allergic diseases is effective, and believed that "if conditions are available, it should be applied as soon as possible", and immunotherapy has been re-promoted.

In 1993, the European Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) pointed out that sublingual specific immunotherapy (SLIT) could be a potentially valuable treatment.

In 1998, the submission of the "WHO Allergen Immunotherapy Submission" pointed out that "desensitization treatment is the only possible cure for allergic diseases" and officially recommended the effectiveness and safety of sublingual specific immunotherapy. At present, the treatment of sublingual desensitization has been vigorously promoted in developed countries such as Europe and the United States, and the immunotherapy method of subcutaneous injection has gradually faded out of the mainstream medical scheme due to its potential harm.

In 2001, the Global Asthma Initiative (ARIA) confirmed the safety of high-dose allergen sublingual desensitization (at least 100 times the cumulative dose of subcutaneous immunotherapy) for children and adults.

In 2004, the World Health Organization recognized SLIT as one of the main treatments for treating allergic diseases such as allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis. What are the advantages of sublingual desensitization?

Subcutaneous injections can have severe systemic adverse effects. It has been reported in the literature that, on average, a serious adverse reaction may occur every 10,000 injections in Germany, and about one anaphylactic shock may occur every 250,000 injections. Therefore, people are interested in finding new alternative therapies, especially investing more attention in sublingual desensitization.

In 1986, Scadding and Brostoff first used sublingual desensitization therapy to treat allergic rhinitis. After 20 years of development, it has been confirmed that sublingual desensitization has a clear effect and significantly reduces respiratory allergic symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma. Patients can even reach a completely asymptomatic state, which can significantly reduce or even stop symptomatic medication, and significantly improve the overall quality of life of patients. More importantly, the adverse reactions of sublingual desensitization were mild, and no serious systemic adverse reactions and anaphylactic shock have been reported so far. The most common adverse reactions reported in the literature at home and abroad are itching of the mouth and sublingual, gastrointestinal discomfort after taking the medication, and headache, constipation, or urticaria have also been reported. These adverse reactions mostly appear in the initial stage of treatment and generally do not require drug treatment. Relieve on your own.

Compared with subcutaneous injection, the advantages of sublingual desensitization are:

1. Individualized administration with strong controllability: subcutaneous injection preparations are injected once or twice a week during the initial period and once every few weeks during the maintenance period. Dosages of several days or even several weeks per injection are more serious if safety issues arise. Sublingual desensitization is taken daily, with increasing allergens and decreasing gradients, which can control the occurrence of adverse reactions in time. Once discomfort occurs, the dose can be adjusted immediately. Sublingual desensitization has not resulted in a fatal case since its use in 1986.

2. Easy to use and highly compliant: Traditional subcutaneous desensitization treatment requires patients to often go to hospitals or specialized clinics for injections. Using sublingual drops can get rid of the pain of frequent injections, and the medication is simple, can be carried with you, is not restricted by the time and place of medication, the patient has high compliance, and it is easier for children to cooperate with treatment.

3, the age of patients receiving desensitization treatment is advanced: children's immune system is not fully developed, plasticity is strong, the sooner the desensitization treatment is better. Subcutaneous desensitization requires the patient to be older than 5 years of age. Sublingual desensitization can be used for 4-year-old children, so that more children can get earlier rationalized treatment for inca symptom and achieve better treatment effect.

4, reduce injection pain, improve the quality of life of patients: can get rid of the pain of frequent injections, avoid the inconvenience, discomfort and possible adverse reactions caused by injections.

Due to the efficacy and safety of sublingual desensitization treatment, in 2001, WHO officially recommended sublingual desensitization as a desensitization therapy that can replace the traditional injection method, which is suitable for adults and children.