This is another area of treatment which excites considerable debate among the medical profession. Despite the fact that immunotherapy is accepted in the general treatment of certain allergies, it is still one of the most controversial areas of asthma therapy. Some of the reasons for this are:
•The effects of immunotherapy treatment tend to be are inconsistent from one patient to another;
• It is not possible to predict how long immunotherapy treatment will block an allergic response to a particular allergen;
•It is possible to have a positive response to an allergen which may not be the cause of asthma;
•Immunotherapy can be dangerous if not practised under professional supervision.
But regardless of these problems, immunotherapy remains a viable option for carefully selected patients. If asthma triggers are identified as strongly allergic in origin and skin or blood tests support sensitivity to an allergen which responds well to immunotherapy, then it is very likely that immunotherapy will reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.
Immunotherapy attempts to neutralize the effects of allergens. The treatment consists of a long-term series of injections containing a gradually increasing amount of allergen extract. If a patient is highly allergic, the doctor increases the allergen doses very slowly over a longer period of time. Some allergic asthmatics report long-lasting improvement after immunotherapy, others report symptoms returning after stopping the treatment.
Despite the continuing debate as to its effectiveness, immunotherapy is regarded as a viable preventive measure by a growing number of doctors as well as allergy prone asthmatics. While undergoing immunotherapy courses, it is usual for asthmatics to remain on their standard medication program.
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PREVENTIVE ASTHMA MEDICATION: IMMUNOTHERAPYThis is another area of treatment which excites considerable debate among the medical profession. Despite the fact that immunotherapy is accepted in the general treatment of certain allergies, it is still one of the most controversial areas of asthma therapy. Some of the reasons for this are:•The effects of immunotherapy treatment tend to be are inconsistent from one patient to another;• It is not possible to predict how long immunotherapy treatment will block an allergic response to a particular allergen;•It is possible to have a positive response to an allergen which may not be the cause of asthma;•Immunotherapy can be dangerous if not practised under professional supervision.But regardless of these problems, immunotherapy remains a viable option for carefully selected patients. If asthma triggers are identified as strongly allergic in origin and skin or blood tests support sensitivity to an allergen which responds well to immunotherapy, then it is very likely that immunotherapy will reduce the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.Immunotherapy attempts to neutralize the effects of allergens. The treatment consists of a long-term series of injections containing a gradually increasing amount of allergen extract. If a patient is highly allergic, the doctor increases the allergen doses very slowly over a longer period of time. Some allergic asthmatics report long-lasting improvement after immunotherapy, others report symptoms returning after stopping the treatment.Despite the continuing debate as to its effectiveness, immunotherapy is regarded as a viable preventive measure by a growing number of doctors as well as allergy prone asthmatics. While undergoing immunotherapy courses, it is usual for asthmatics to remain on their standard medication program.*22\148\2*