Everyday it seems more and more children are suffering from allergic reactions to certain foods, some of which could be life threatening In fact, 1 in 13 children have some kind of food allergy.
An allergic reaction is an overreaction of the immune system to a substance it perceives as dangerous. Allergic reactions range from mild to severe and referred to as “anaphylaxis”. The most severe reaction could be life threatening, since it impairs breathing and lowers blood pressure. Other symptoms of food allergies can include vomiting, stomach cramps, hives, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and trouble swallowing. The most common foods that cause allergic reactions are milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy. Sesame has been an emerging concern in the past few years.
To alleviate symptoms, The Allergy Group is now offering Oral Immunotherapy for patients with food allergies to Milk, Wheat, Peanut, Egg and Tree Nuts. This type of therapy is designed to treat patients with life threatening allergic reactions to food. Treatment is provided using a graded food challenge that desensitizes the patient to the type of allergen over a period of time.
The patient begins by consuming very low doses of the food. Every day, the patient consumes more until the patient is ready to consume the maximum dose. At that time, the patient visits the clinic, where one of our physicians administers the maximum amount and observes the patient for 45 minutes. If no side effects are observed, the patient returns to home and consumes the same dose daily for one to two weeks, until the next visit. After that, the patient continues to consume a maintenance dose of the food, which is usually the amount of a meal.
Oral Immunotherapy is an ideal treatment because it does not involve the use of any medications, and it has been proven to work in those with milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, and wheat food allergies and more are being studied.
Additionally, it helps to reduce the amount of allergy-related hospitalizations. This life-changing treatment should be administered under the guidance of a medical professional such as The Allergy Group. Click HERE or call 208-377-4000 to schedule an appointment!