Hate taking allergy drugs? get better with immunotherapy - Tested for 100 Years – New Advancements

Antihistamines and nasal steroids offer good short-term options for people with mild allergy, but allergy immunotherapy, better known as “allergy shots,” is a preferred method for achieving long term remission of more bothersome allergy symptoms. Allergy immunotherapy is the only allergy treatment that has been shown to prevent the progression of allergic disease, reduce the risk of developing asthma, and provide long term remission after therapy ends. Studies demonstrate it reduces the need for medication, as well as use and cost of health care services. And unlike medications, allergen immunotherapy has a long track record of safety in children, the elderly and pregnant women. Beginning with the first published study on inoculation against grass pollen in 1911, allergy immunotherapy has been proven over the past century as a safe, effective treatment against allergens including pollen, mold, insects and animals, and also for allergic asthma. The treatment stops the source of the patient’s suffering rather than just treating the symptoms. . read more.

Pumpkin Pie not a treat for some allergic children: Pediatric Hot Topics Reveal New Conclusions on Pumpkin, Caterpillars and More

Your child may be allergic to your holiday pumpkin pie, according to allergists at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). Hot topics discussed in pediatric allergies include pumpkin and caterpillar allergies, and outgrowing childhood allergies. Although pumpkin is not a food usually associated with allergic reactions, allergists reported a case study of an 8-year-old boy with known asthma and food allergies who became sick after carving a pumpkin. His symptoms included itchy eyes, sneezing, eyelid swelling and chest tightness. Allergists say these symptoms can occur after carving or eating pumpkin. . read more.