Allergen immunotherapy (desensitisation)

All­er­gen immu­no­the­ra­py, also cal­led desen­si­ti­sa­ti­on, is a tre­at­ment that tar­gets the cau­se of an aller­gy rather than mere­ly reli­e­ving its sym­ptoms. The trig­ge­ring all­er­gen is given to the body in regu­lar doses over a long peri­od. The aim is for the immu­ne sys­tem to beco­me accus­to­med to it and react less strongly.

Appli­ca­ti­on

It is sui­ta­ble for hay fever cau­sed by pol­len, house dust mite aller­gy and insect venom aller­gy fol­lo­wing bee or wasp stings. The aller­gy is first con­firm­ed with a skin prick test and blood tests. The all­er­gen is eit­her injec­ted under the skin in incre­asing doses or taken dai­ly as a tablet or drops under the tongue.

Good to know

Tre­at­ment usual­ly lasts three to five years and requi­res per­se­ver­ance. After injec­tions, pati­ents stay for a peri­od of obser­va­ti­on, as all­er­gic reac­tions can occur; with under-the-ton­gue tre­at­ment, itching or swel­ling in the mouth is more typi­cal. It is not sui­ta­ble for peo­p­le with uncon­trol­led asth­ma or cer­tain under­ly­ing con­di­ti­ons or medications.

Matching tre­at­ment at Swiss Der­ma Cli­nic: Aller­gy Immunotherapy