Introduction
Many patients with allergies, often have numerous factors causing them problems. Simple avoidance of these factors will often improve one's symptoms and makes good sense. Patients with inhalant allergies may benefit from regular use of efficient air filters and often lose their symptoms, when on holiday in dry climates (the Mediterranean or the Alps - high humidity helps dust, pollens or animal dander to remain airborne). Others can remain well by avoiding certain foods.

Sometimes, it is very difficult or practically impossible to prevent symptoms this way (e.g. if one were to give up wheat and other grains; asthma from allergy to a loved pet, allergic rhinitis from common dust). In these cases, immunotherapy or desensitisation (turning-off) of the allergy is the most effective method of treatment. Many patients, who require this, have been ill with multiple allergies for a number of years and may have tried other methods, including conventional treatments and various medications, without success.

Since 1911, different types of desensitisation have been used in the western world, with variable success. One of these methods has been used by many doctors in the U.K. to prevent symptoms of hay fever, by means of injections of pollen, given before the pollen season. This type of desensitisation (incremental desensitisation) is quite effective, however, due to rare but severe reactions, its popularity in the UK diminished since the mid-eighties. In the last 35 years, two other methods have been developed and are regularly used by doctors with special interest in allergic conditions:

• ENZYME POTENTIATED DESENSITISATION (EPD)....for more information click here
• END-POINT TITRATION (Neutralisation)....for more information click here

© AllergyClinicsUK