MILWAUKEE –While this treatment is still unproven according to the US leading allergy association, allergists are quietly taking up the practice and helping people.
Noelle, a 2 year old with multiple allergies, is a patient of Allergy Associates in LaCrosse, WI. Allergy Associates provides sublingual immunotherapy treatment. Before her treatment, a single M&M sent her into an allergic reaction that turned her skin completely red. Noelle’s mother, Karen Tylicki, had to carry an Epi-pen in order to keep her daughter safe in case of an accidental exposure.
After having received sublingual immunotherapy, Noelle can now have as much as 2 ounces of milk without reacting, which is a huge relief for her parents. A small accidental exposure is no longer a life-threatening event.
Food allergies are a special concern for parents. Food is everywhere: at school, at the playground, in the daycare. While many associations and groups now have allergy policies aimed at protecting children with severe reactions, no parent can guarantee that every situation is safe.
Food allergies are also increasing at an astonishing rate. Recent data from the Center for Disease Control shows an 18 per cent increase in food allergies in the last decade alone.
The impact is everywhere, from food producers with special “peanut / nut free” versions of their offerings, to parents who ask now before offering a treat or snack to one of their children’s friends. Schools now stock Epi-pens on site (autoinjectors of epinephrine that are critical to those with anaphylaxis).
It wasn’t always like this. Parents find themselves in an emotional storm, as they consider that they can’t just take their kid out for fries from the local chip wagon or ice cream from the corner store. The emotions are tied to the fact that food allergies have been considered a “life sentence”.
There are no other currently approved treatments. Allergy shots have had limited if any success with food issues. Antihistamines taken before ingesting an offending food also don’t seem to work. As a result, parents have been told that a severe allergy means continual vigilance and avoiding the particular food.
This is where sublingual immunotherapy can seem like magic. Various recent research projects are looking at delivering tiny amounts of liquid or powdered allergen under the tongue. Initial results do show that patients are benefitting.
Whether allergies are completed eliminated or not, people are clearly interested in this painless and easy treatment. Allergy Associates of LaCrosse sees more than 10,000 patients a year.
Source: AJC Health News
