Seek Treatment Now to Avoid Next Fall’s Allergies

(HealthCentersOnline) - Beginning immunotherapy now may help prevent severe allergic rhinitis symptoms next fall.

Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is an inflammation of the inner lining of the nose that occurs when an allergic individual encounters an airborne allergen such as pollen, mold, dust mites or animal dander. While some people with allergic rhinitis experience symptoms year-round, most people with the condition only experience symptoms at certain times of year. This form is known as seasonal allergic rhinitis. Approximately 40 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis from year to year.

Many people experience allergic rhinitis symptoms during the fall due to high levels of ragweed and mold. As winter approaches and these patients begin to feel relief, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) is urging them to discuss immunotherapy with an allergist/immunologist to help prevent symptoms in the future.

Also known as allergy shots, immunotherapy is used to treat allergic rhinitis symptoms, such as sneezing, watery eyes and runny nose, in people who suffer yearly from this allergy. During treatment, increasing, controlled doses of an allergen are injected into a patient over several months. The goal is to increase the patient's tolerance to the allergen while reducing symptoms brought on by an allergic reaction.

"Immunotherapy can lead to the long-lasting relief of allergy symptoms, and is successful in up to 90 percent of patients with hay fever," said Dr. Linda Cox, chair of the AAAAI's Immunotherapy and Allergy Diagnostics Committee. "It also has been shown to prevent the development of new allergies and it can prevent the progression of allergic diseases such as hay fever and asthma ."

Immunotherapy is also recommended for people with allergic asthma, conjunctivitis and allergies to stinging insects .

This recommendation was provided by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in a press release.