Nothing to sneeze at

(China Daily/Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-11 09:10

"The effectiveness of this treatment has been proven in many studies and is very successful when it comes to hay fever sufferers," says Anja Schwalfenberg, a biologist and consultant at the German Allergy and Asthma Association in Muenchengladbach.

But Schwalfenberg advises against following a specific course of immunotherapy in cases of severe asthma or asthma that has not been treated properly.

"The gold standard among forms of therapy is what is known as subcutaneous therapy, where the allergen is injected under the skin," explains Heidrun Holstein, a doctor at the Consumers Association office in Karlsruhe.

But this type of therapy takes a long time to complete. "In the beginning, the patient receives an injection two or three times a week in a clinic. In some cases, a long-acting agent which releases the allergen over a period of time may be injected once a week."

This therapy is begun before the hay fever season starts. Side effects include drowsiness or in extreme cases allergic shock, which is why patients must remain under observation in the clinic for 30 minutes after receiving treatment.

Researchers have developed alternative treatments that no longer require the patient to receive an injection.

Sublingual therapy consists of drops of vaccine that are placed in the patient's mouth. Grass allergies can be treated with tablets.

The most noticeable side effect of injected vaccines has been observed in patients like asthma sufferers who have oversensitive bronchi.

"Those patients should receive a course of drops under medical observation," advises Bergmann.

All other patients should consult their doctor every three months to receive a new prescription.

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