Oral Immunotherapy to Deal with Allergies

Allergies can prevent your child from enjoying certain foods and make it difficult for them to eat at parties. Unfortunately, most allergies might not have medications that completely heal the condition. However, you can improve the patient’s experience with oral immunotherapy. You should find an expert such as Ms. Rachael Stillwagon in Gilbert, who understands the importance of the therapy and how to administer it to the patients safely. Oral immune therapy works by introducing the allergic food to the patient’s diet in safe amounts. The safe proportions increase a patient’s capability to build resistance to the food.

Here is why you should opt for oral immunotherapy

Increases Resistance to Allergens

Your doctor should introduce the allergens to your diet in safe amounts, which does not cause a full-blown allergic reaction. They would eat food containing dairy products traces and increase the doses as the body gets used to the food with dairy allergies. However, the food up-dosing should be done under medical supervision to ensure the patients do not consume more than expected doses of the allergens. Again the doctor would monitor the patient’s vitals after consumption of the allergens.

Patients would continue with the treatment at home at least for two weeks, and they can monitor the symptoms associated with the doses. The process would be repeated with the patient’s increasing the dosage of the amounts of food allergens. The aim could be for the patient to reach the maintenance level for each allergen until they can safely ingest the food without undergoing a serious allergic reaction. It can completely desensitize an individual from a severe allergic reaction due to accidental exposure or cross-contamination. For some foods, the patients might need appropriate maintenance doses until the next hospital visit.

Are You Eligible for Oral Immunotherapy?

Mostly, this therapy applies to young children as they are more prone to allergies as it reduces the allergic reaction due to accidental exposure. The young one is held at a Food Allergy Program in the hospital. They should demonstrate an allergy to at least one allergen, and the allergy should be visible from a skin test, blood test, or food challenge. Again, the patient should be in good health as sickly patients can react to small amounts of allergens due to lowered immunity.

Foods Allergies that Can Be Treated with Oral Immunotherapy

You can get oral immunotherapy for food allergens such as milk, eggs, peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, and sesame, soy, and wheat.  Your child can receive up to five food allergens at a time during the treatment.  You will also discuss their allergy history with your doctor as it helps determine which food and which order of oral immunotherapy is recommended for the child.

Final Thoughts

Your child should not miss out on parties due to allergic reactions to food. It is possible to get food cross-contamination during parties as most party planners don’t consider allergic people during meal planning. Oral immunotherapy can reduce allergic reactions to certain foods, making them consume the food in small quantities. Again, if the up-dosing during treatment is successful, the treatment could completely help the patient overcome the allergy.