Treatment of allergies
Immunotherapy
The treatment of allergic diseases is mainly based on three measures of action; avoidance of the allergen or substance causing the allergic reaction, treatment of symptoms through the use of medication, i.e., drug treatment and immunotherapy (single aetiological treatment that acts at the level of the cause of the allergic problem).
Immunotherapy is the only etiological treatment that acts on the origin of allergic disease
Allergen immunotherapy vaccines are the only effective treatment which act from the source of the problem, changing the course of the allergic disease, preventing new sensitisations and preventing the development of asthma in allergic patients. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO), considers this type of treatment as the only effective treatment that treats the cause of the allergic disease, whose effects on the allergic patient are to induce a state of clinical and immunological tolerance in the face of future exposure to the allergen or substance causing the allergic reaction.
Immunotherapy consists of the administration of increasing doses of the allergen or substance causing the allergic reaction.
The efficacy of allergen immunotherapy treatments is long-term. The recommended vaccination period ranges from 3 to 5 years, although the improvement of symptoms can be observed from 5 months. The specialist is responsible for annually assessing the condition of each patient in order to decide on the duration of the vaccination period in each case.
It is the only treatment approved by the World Health Organization which is effective in treating the cause of the allergy.
Laboratorios Diater offers specialists a wide range of immunotherapy treatments, classified according to the route of administration.
Subcutaneous administration
One of the forms of administration available in immunotherapy is the subcutaneous route. In this case, immunotherapy would be administered by giving injections of an allergen (pollens, mites, fungi, epithelial cells, etc.), the substance causing the allergic process, in the patient's arm.
Immunotherapy is normally administered in two phases; a first initiation phase in which the doses are weekly, until the maintenance dose is reached, and a second maintenance phase, in which the administration of the subsequent doses is done on a monthly basis, for a vaccination period ranging from 3 to 5 years. Currently, there are products that greatly shorten the initiation phase by achieving the maintenance dose in a single day and require only monthly injections. These treatments are much more convenient for patients.
Although immunotherapy is a long-term treatment, the improvement of the symptoms of allergic disease can be seen after the first year of treatment.
Administration of subcutaneous immunotherapy should be performed monthly under the supervision of a specialist doctor.
Sublingual administration
Laboratorios Diater has another effective form of administration of immunotherapy - the sublingual route. It consists of the administration of the allergen through the sublingual mucosa, by depositing the substance or allergen under the tongue and holding it there until completely absorbed.
The administration of this type of treatment, does not make it necessary to attend a medical centre or healthcare centre, since it may be administered daily in the patient’s home. In order to ensure the effectiveness of these treatments administered by this route, good patient compliance is of paramount importance, since administration is performed daily at home during the time estimated by the specialist. According to the WHO, this ranges from 3 to 5 years.
Laboratorios Diater has therefore developed innovative administration devices that improve the ease and convenience of use, ensuring greater treatment compliance.
The home administration of sublingual immunotherapy facilitates the allergic patient’s treatment compliance.