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Influenza vaccinations:
NHLBI guidelines recommend annual influenza vaccinations for patients with
persistent asthma.
Immunotherapy:
Also
known as “Specific
Immunotherapy” or SIT, this therapy has
many names like desensitization, hypo sensitization,
allergy
shots, allergy vaccines and allergy injection therapy.
This was discovered in 1911 by Leonard Noon at the St.
Mary’s Hospital, London.
This therapy had its high and low times and is now accepted as
the corner stone of treatment for allergic disorders.
The allergies are selected by skin tests and a vaccine is
prepared. Subcutaneous injections of the allergen extract are
given to the patient.
They injections are initially given in low concentration
usually 1:5000 twice a week, then slowly increased to 1:50
concentration and once a month.
The immunization is usually done for 5 years.
Indications for immunotherapy:
SIT is a well tested therapy for allergic disorders. This has been proven by many well
controlled trials. SIT has potential for altering the course of the disease and can even prevent progression.
Main indications are:
Allergic rhinitis
Allergic asthma
Insect sting allergy
Drug allergy.
SIT has no place in treating skin allergies. In fact it is contraindicated in urticaria
as it may aggravate the disease.
Children below the age of 5 years should not be given immunotherapy as there are greater chance of adverse reaction and anaphylaxis.
Results of immunotherapy are also not as effective beyond the age of 50 years.
Immunotherapy can be safely given in pregnancy. No harm has ever been reported to mother or fetus. If a lady becomes pregnant during immunotherapy the therapy is continued as such. But SIT is usually not started during pregnancy.
Patients on Beta blockers should tell the doctor about the drug.
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