Can Allergies Affect Joint Pain

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1. Allergies Explained
2. Types of Allergies
3. Symptoms of Allergies
4. How Allergies Can Cause Joint Pain
5. What Joints Can Be Affected by Allergies?
6. How Food Allergies Are Linked to Joint Pain
7. How Seasonal Allergies Are Linked to Joint Pain
8. Tips to Manage Allergies and Joint Pain
   1. Rule Out Other Conditions
   2. Eliminate Food Culprits
   3. Avoid Allergy Triggers
   4. Medications
   5. Home Care
   6. Ice and Heating Pad
   7. Air Purifiers
9. Contact OrthoBethesda

If you suffer from allergies, you likely know the toll they can take on your sinuses. But what about the rest of your body? Can allergies affect joint pain? Believe it or not, allergies, whether seasonal or food-related, can affect joint pain. Allergy symptoms appear for a variety of reasons, but some symptoms — like joint pain — may occur because of the humidity and rapid temperature changes that accompany the spring season.

During allergy season, many individuals experience a spike in allergy symptoms, particularly when there is a high pollen count. Some individuals will have mild symptoms like a stuffy nose and sneezing.

Others, on the other hand, can experience pain in their neck, back and joints. Joint pain is widespread. A national survey showed one-third of adults claimed to have experienced joint pain within the previous 30 days.

Allergies Explained

In the U.S., around 32 million individuals in the U.S. have food allergies and up to 30% have allergic rhinitis, known as hayfever, making allergies a common chronic disease. A chronic disease is one that lasts over a long period or occurs frequently.

An allergy occurs when your immune system identifies a certain substance and overreacts to it. Substances that lead to an allergic reaction are known as “allergens.” When you have allergies, your immune system makes the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody, which responds to allergens. The allergic reaction results in symptoms.

Think of it as a result of “mistaken identity.” The allergen gets into your body, and your immune system wrongly identifies it as a dangerous substance. It then responds by making antibodies that attack the allergen. These antibodies are of the IgE class.

When your immune system finds the allergen, IgE antibodies begin triggering a flood of immune system reactions, which include the release of mast cell chemicals (substances your body typically uses for destroying microorganisms). Histamine is the most common of these chemicals. Histamine, in small amounts, causes reddening and itching of the local area. In larger quantities, the neighboring blood vessels become dilated, causing the area to swell with accumulated fluid.

Doctors believe this overreaction of the immune system to a harmless substance is genetic. Doctors describe this genetic tendency as “atopy.” Doctors describe an individual with an allergy as being “atopic.” These individuals typically have raised IgE levels in their blood.

Types of Allergies

Two main types of allergies are:

1. Food allergies: A food allergy occurs when your immune system mistakenly overreacts to a nondangerous food protein (an allergen). Common food allergens in the U.S. are soy, egg, milk, fish, shellfish, wheat, peanut and tree nuts.
2. Seasonal allergies: These are your immune system’s response to pollen grains — plant sperm cells that float each spring in the air. By misinterpreting pollen as a health threat, your body starts triggering an inflammatory response, resulting in irritating symptoms like a runny nose and itchy eyes.

Allergies can lead to illness when you eat certain foods or breathe in or touch certain substances. When particles of pet dander, pollen or specific types of food enters your body, it’s called “antigens.” If your body has a sensitivity to that particle, it mistakes it for a dangerous invader. So, when you come in contact with an allergen, your entire system experiences inflammation, including your joints.

Allergens aggravate joint pain because they stimulate your immune system. People often ignore these symptoms, but they shouldn’t — doing so could be detrimental to the quality of their health.

Symptoms of Allergies

The allergy you have will determine the symptoms you experience. Symptoms may include:

• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Breathing problems
• Swelling of your eyes, face and lips
• Headache
• Persistent cough or wheezing
• Watery, red and itchy eyes
• Stomach pains
• Skin rash
• A tightness of your throat and swelling of your tongue
• Vomiting and diarrhea

Because these symptoms can also occur with numerous other medical conditions, don’t self-diagnose. It’s essential that you make an appointment with your doctor if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment.

How Allergies Can Cause Joint Pain

Allergic reactions come in various forms, including some that can lead to joint pain. Here are some of the ways allergies bring about joint pain:

1. Medication

Allergies to medications can cause symptoms of joint pain. Doctors classify medication-related allergic reactions based on the reaction they cause. Certain drugs cause an immediate type 1 allergic reaction. These reactions can cause symptoms like wheezing and urticaria. Another possible symptom is angioedema (swelling) which could occur at the area the medication came in contact with, including joints. Swelling can make moving your joints difficult.

2. Serum Sickness

This is a type 3 allergic reaction you can experience days or weeks after you had exposure to an allergen. Serum sickness symptoms include fever, hives, swollen glands and joint pain. With serum sickness, your immune system forms immune complexes in response to a foreign protein that causes inflammation and could deposit into your joints, causing pain.

3. Insect Stings

Insect stings frequently cause allergic reactions, including pain and swelling. While most individuals react to insect stings with swelling and pain, some individuals are allergic to the venom of insects. The reactions for these people go beyond a normal insect sting response and include symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue and face and nausea.

Insect stings don’t generally lead to serum sickness with joint pain. Because this is often a delayed reaction, you may have difficulty remembering the insect sting that triggered your reaction.

4. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Inflammation can occur with any allergy, and this can trigger a medical condition that involves joint pain like rheumatoid arthritis. RA is a type of autoimmune disease where your immune system mistakenly initiates an attack even with a lack of foreign substances. It leads to swelling and pain in your joints.

While RA’s exact causes aren’t known, case reports do show a link between food allergies and joint pain, particularly RA. The inflammation caused by food allergies could worsen or trigger RA.

What Joints Can Be Affected by Allergies?

Allergies can affect certain joints, including:

1. Shoulders and Knees

When thinking about food allergies, you probably don’t think knee and shoulder joint pain could be a symptom. For individuals who suffer from inflammatory joint conditions like arthritis, food allergies could cause inflammation, which results in a flare-up of pain. Anything that causes your immune system to react can trigger joint pain in different areas of your body, including your knees and shoulders.

2. Back

Over the past several decades, doctors have confirmed a co-occurrence of allergic conditions and back pain. Researchers listed allergy symptoms as “muscle tightness, low back pain and muscle pulling” with hamstring and nuchal muscle discomfort and sharp pain resembling sciatica pain.

3. Various Parts of the Body

Doctors working in the field of food allergy are knowledgeable with food’s ability to cause joint pain in numerous body parts. Food-allergic patients often suffer from joint and muscle pain of the back, chest, arms, abdomen, back of the neck and legs.

How Food Allergies Are Linked to Joint Pain

Can food allergies affect joint pain? Here’s an explanation of the link between joint pain and food allergies:

1. Inherited

Not only are seasonal allergies common in many individuals, but so are food allergies. However, sometimes people inherit allergies to specific types of food, and it’s hard to predict the condition among families. A family member could develop allergies to a specific type of food at any point in their lives.

2. Immune System

As mentioned, soy, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, eggs and wheat are common allergy-causing foods in many individuals. The immune system overreacts to a particular type of food or its components. In these cases, it responds to the food’s proteins as harmful substances entering the body, like how toxins invade, leading to the overreaction that causes several symptoms. These symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Vomiting
• Wheezing
• Breathing problems
• Shock
• Weakened pulse
• Hives and hoarse throat
• Difficulty swallowing food
• Feeling faint

These symptoms typically impact the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Food allergies could even lead to anaphylaxis — a life-threatening condition where you’re unable to properly breathe, resulting in shock. In these cases, joint pain occurs.

3. Inflammation

Allergens can trigger the immune system to produce inflammation, leading to joint pain in different areas of the body. This explains why patients with arthritis feel severe joint pain after they eat particular foods they’re allergic to.

How Seasonal Allergies Are Linked to Joint Pain

Seasonal allergies occur at certain periods of the year. These allergies typically impact various areas of the body, including the throat, eyes and nose. Joint pain typically accompanies these allergies.

However, there’s still the question about the link between seasonal allergies and joint pain. Here are some reasons:

1. Colds

Seasonal allergies often develop in the same way colds do, in that they’re characterized by itchy eyes, sore throats and running noses. But you may not recognize the difference between seasonal allergies and colds, since both manifest with joint pain. Therefore, you might directly link joint pain with seasonal allergies or colds until you take other symptoms into consideration.

When you have joint pain and a fever, it’s a sure sign of a cold. But when the joint pain develops along with a running nose, itching of the eyes and throat or sneezing, this indicates allergies.

2. Inflammation

Rarely do individuals link joint pain with allergies. However, when allergies bring on inflammation, the joint pain that follows is inevitable. The increased inflammation seasonal allergies bring on is due to your antibodies fighting the foreign allergens that cause the allergy. Your throat, nose and eyes experience inflammation as your immune system fights to ward off the allergens. Your body becomes exhausted from the pressure exerted on your immune system, and this could be what’s causing your joint pain.

3. Climate Changes

Joint pain can also develop because of changes in the climate from season to season — cold and damp climates, for example. Seasonal allergies, in this case, could indirectly cause joint pain. Seasonal allergies are generally heightened between March through early summer in the U.S.

Tips to Manage Allergies and Joint Pain

Here are some tips to help you manage allergies and the joint pain that often follows:

1. Rule Out Other Conditions

The first thing you should do is rule out any other underlying medical condition. If you believe your chronic joint pain is indeed allergy-related, speak with your doctor about treatment options that can alleviate your symptoms.

2. Eliminate Food Culprits

Eliminating substances and foods you’re allergic to is an effective way of reducing your allergy-related joint pain. Some symptoms of allergies don’t develop right away and could develop a day after you’ve eaten a certain food. Pinpointing the food that caused your joint pain can be difficult. For instance, if you have allergies to wheat, by the time your body absorbs the proteins, it could be hours before your joints become painful and inflamed.

Figuring out which foods you’re allergic to is the best treatment option and allergy-related joint pain preventive measure to take. Allergy tests and an elimination diet can help you figure out the foods you’re allergic to. A food elimination diet works by eliminating a certain food for several weeks and then re-introducing it to your body again to see if you react.

Allergy tests include blood and skin tests. A skin test uses small amounts of various food proteins the doctor injects under your top skin layer. After around 20 to 40 minutes, if you’re allergic to that food, you will likely develop a reaction. A blood test uses a sample of your blood to test for IgE antibodies.

3. Avoid Allergy Triggers

One essential thing you can do when you suffering from allergies is to figure out what the triggers are. While some individuals often blame a single trigger, it’s possible there could be more than one. It’s not uncommon for individuals suffering from spring allergies to experience symptoms all year ’round.

Some ways to avoid triggers include:

• Stay clear from exposing yourself to allergens such as cold and dampness.
• Take a shower after you’ve been outside.
• Monitor mold and pollen counts, which you’ll find in the news, on TV or online.
• Stay indoors during peak pollen counts — usually in the afternoons.
• Take preventive medicine.
• Wear a filter mask when you’re outdoors working.
• Shampoo your hair after being exposed to allergens
• Wash your bedding in soapy, hot water a minimum of once per week.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from pollen.
• Wear a face mask during high pollen days if you have severe allergies.
• Don’t line dry your clothing or bedding outdoors if there’s a high pollen count, since pollen could settle on these items.

4. Medications

Certain medications can help with both allergies and joint pain, including:

Over-the-Counter Medicines

If your swelling and joint pain are mild to moderate, an over-the-counter medication, like a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or aspirin or naproxen sodium (Aleve) could provide relief. If you’re only experiencing very mild pain and don’t have any swelling, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help.

Take caution with these medications, though — especially if you consume alcohol, since high doses of NSAIDs can cause stomach problems like ulcers and bleeding and acetaminophen can cause liver damage.

Prescription Medicines

If you’re experiencing severe pain that NSAIDs don’t effectively relieve, your doctor might prescribe you a stronger prescription pain reliever like opioids. Only use these under your doctor’s medical advice, since opioids cause drowsiness and are addictive. They may also cause constipation.

Other drugs that could help alleviate your joint pain and allergies include:

• Muscle relaxants: These treat muscle spasms and you can use them combined with NSAIDs if necessary.
• Antiepileptic drugs and antidepressants: These interfere with pain signals.
• Antihistamines: These counterbalance the effects of the common allergen component histamine that causes allergy symptoms.
• Decongestants: For short-term use, these help minimize sinus discomfort and swelling by thinning your nasal secretions. For full symptom relief, you can combine them with antihistamines.
• Immunotherapy: This is an allergy shot which increases your exposure to an allergen gradually to decrease inflammation and allergy symptoms.
• Anti-inflammatory nasal steroid sprays: These work by reducing inflammation and swelling, cutting down on the production of mucus. They work particularly well when you combine them with antihistamines.

Topical Agents

Topical agents often contain capsaicin (a substance in chili peppers). Capsaicin can relieve joint pain by blocking substance P, which helps with transmitting pain signals and triggers the release of endorphins (body chemicals), blocking pain. Another topical option is one which contains methyl salicylate and relieves arthritis pain.

Injections

If you don’t find relief from topical or oral medicines, your doctor may inject a steroid medication directly into your joint every three to four months. Individuals with joint disease, arthritis or tendinitis often use steroid injections. It’s an effective procedure. However, in many situations, it only provides temporary relief.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist can work with you to strengthen the muscles around your joint to improve the range of motion and stabilize your joint. They may show you different exercises you can work on at home or ones you can do in their office. They’ll often use techniques like cold or heat therapy, ultrasound, manipulation and electrical nerve stimulation.

5. Home Care

You can alleviate joint pain over the short term with a few easy methods at home. One technique, PRICE, is especially effective. It goes like this:

• Protect your joint with a wrap or brace.
• Rest your joint and avoid any pain-causing activities.
• Ice your joint for around 15 minutes a few times daily.
• Compress your joint with an elastic wrap.
• Elevate your joint to above heart level.

6. Ice and Heating Pad

Apply ice to your painful joints to help relieve inflammation and pain. If you experience muscle spasms around your joints, you can use a wrap or heating pad a few times a day. Your doctor might suggest that you tape or splint your joint to reduce pain or movement, but avoid keeping your joint too still for too long, as it could eventually become stiff and lose function.

7. Air Purifiers

You may find relief for airborne allergens through air purifiers, humidifiers, conditioners and filters. This helps filter the air you breathe so you’re not exposed to allergens as regularly.

The doctors and therapists at OrthoBethesda are committed to your health and providing top-quality care. Our orthopedic surgeons are board-certified and fellowship-trained within their specialties. They treat a variety of issues, including joint pain due to allergies.

Our occupational, physical and hand therapists focus their time and attention to bring each patient restorative results. We provide a personal rehabilitation setting where your orthopedist can work with you directly and monitor your progress. If you’re experiencing joint pain related to allergies, contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Schedule an Appointment Contact Us

Can Allergy Shots Cause Muscle and Joint Pain?

Allergy shots can do more bad than good sometimes. The most common problem experienced being joint pains, it can get worse. It all has to do with the way your body reacts to the shots.

Three years ago, Savannah took a course of allergy shots to get rid of her allergic reaction to mold. However, she was tormented by the stabbing pain in her arm for the next few days. After visiting the doctor, she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Within the next few months, her wrists and other joints became so weak that she couldn’t even play her favorite sports. The doctor has warned her to guard her wrist against injuries in future. She is now taking therapies to strengthen her joints.

The above case is frequently reported by people who start taking immunotherapy or allergy shots. So, is joint and/or muscle pain an allergic reaction to these shots? This is ironic in itself because you take the shots hoping it will help reduce the symptoms of allergy. A lot of people are allergic to furry animals, pollen grains, dust, mold, insect bites, nuts, onions and garlic, corn, dairy and other things.

To combat these allergies and prevent their allergic reactions, allergen immunotherapy or shots are administered to the patient. It is successful in most cases, however, it may be accompanied with mild swelling in joints and muscle pain. However, if the doses are given too frequently and in large quantities, the person suffering from allergy may develop serious side effects with intense joint and muscle pain.

Allergy or vaccine shots contain small quantities of allergens. They are injected into the immune system of the body to slowly introduce allergens to the body and develop a natural immunity towards them. It neutralizes the body’s sensitivity towards allergy causing sources and it stops reacting to them over a period of time when introduced to the allergens. However, in some people, the immune system may fail at thriving in an amicable environment with the allergens and the body’s natural defense mechanism sets off to push the toxins out of the body in the form of liquid through watery eyes, runny nose and swelling.

So, you start showing side effects, causing joint pain and muscle pain. This may happen in two cases, the immune system is not strong enough to produce enough antibodies to develop an immunity or the dose of allergen administered is too high for the immune system to deal with and it over reacts. This can further inflame the already existing allergy and the body starts reacting by producing more water to flush it out. The obvious reaction would be that swollen body parts and swellings have a greater likeliness to appear on joints, while muscles suffer through cramps and fatigue.

Side Effects of Allergy Shots

Below are mentioned other side effects, take a look. You may have experienced one or more.

• Low fever
• Nausea
• Chest and throat tightness
• Cold and cough
• Itching and skin rashes
• Bloated feeling
• Sudden, unexplained weight gain
• Tingling feeling in muscles
• Swelling and soreness in joints
• Developing other allergies
• Immediate and extreme fatigue within the next few hours (may last for more than 24 hours)
• Throbbing pain in body parts such as neck, back, arms, hands, legs and joints especially after taking these shots

In some people, it is observed that while you may not show common allergy symptoms near the source of allergen, the joint and muscle pain will worsen. Anaphylaxis may occur in extreme cases. The side effects can be worse in asthma patients.

Consult your doctor about the possible side effects of those shots, before taking any of those shots. Your allergist would be a better judge to tell about your sensitivity to these shots. If you have a case of hypersensitivity and you are prone to getting joint and muscle pain as an allergic reaction, may be, it’s not worth going through the constant pain.

It is advisable that you rather avoid your causes of allergy or bear with it. It will be temporary and a lot less painful. If the allergy is too difficult to live with or it is absolutely necessary to take shots, request your allergist to gradually increase your doses of shots to let your body adjust much better to them.

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Intra-articular administration of drugs in Rostov-on-Don from 2,000 rubles

According to statistics, after 40 years, every second person begins to experience joint problems. In the limbs there is a crunch and pain, which indicate chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This is a signal that the “margin of safety” of the joints has been exhausted. When the amount of hyaluronic acid in the cartilage decreases, it becomes thinner and begins to break down. As a result, the joint itself is deformed. Then there is pain, swelling, inflammation. Pain worsens with physical activity and lessens with rest.

The peak of joint diseases occurs in the most able-bodied age (40–66 years). The disease affects the joints on which the load is maximum – the knee joints, the head of the femur in the hip joint, and the hands. Women are most often concerned about osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis), men – coxarthrosis of the hip joint.

Indications for the use of hyaluronic acid injection

The treatment is recommended for patients aged 55-65 years with stage I-III osteoarthritis of the knee.

One of the signs of osteoporosis is crunching, crackling or creaking (crepitus). Human activity is limited, as it is blocked by a fragment of articular cartilage lying freely in the joint cavity. All these factors are indications for intra-articular injection of the drug.

The causes of deformation and destruction of the joints are external and internal factors:

1. Hereditary predisposition. These are, as a rule, congenital pathologies of bones and joints, defects in the type II collagen gene.
2. Purchased. The deformity occurs after joint surgery (eg, meniscectomy). Old age and overweight also lead to the destruction of the musculoskeletal system. In women, joint problems occur due to hormonal surges and estrogen deficiency during menopause.
3. External. Joint injuries (bruises, sprains) of varying severity.

Typical for people who lead an active lifestyle, are engaged in physical labor or athletes.

What is the basis of the therapeutic effect of hyaluronic acid preparations

Medicines in the form of tablets and ointments are not always effective.

In this case, intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid are recommended. An injection allows you to enter the drug exactly into the joint cavity. The method helps:

• slow down the destruction of cartilage;
• accelerate the recovery of damaged tissues;
• to anesthetize in a short time;
• relieve inflammation.

Hyaluronic acid for intra-articular injection into the joint is responsible for the elasticity and viscosity of the synovial fluid. On the deformed cartilage, the drug forms a protective film that protects it from further destruction.

The drug penetrates deep into the cartilage, increasing its firmness and elasticity. Thanks to this, the “dried up” and thinned cartilage during arthrosis restores its shock-absorbing properties. Hyaluronic acid enhances gliding and lubrication of intra-articular tissues, protects cartilage from the damaging effects of inflammatory mediators.

In their practice, doctors most often use low molecular weight (500 – 730 kDa) and high molecular weight (6000 kDa) preparations of hyaluronic acid. The results of clinical studies confirm their high efficiency.

Benefits of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid

Injections allow the fastest possible elimination of pain and inflammation, as a result of which the patient regains mobility.

In addition, injections are targeted, give a quick effect, reduce the risk of complications from the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system.

The drug also helps to synthesize its own intra-articular fluid. In some cases, this helps to avoid joint surgery.

Which joints are hyaluronic acid injected into?

ankle.

The choice of the injection site is not accidental – injection of a solution for intra-articular injection treats differently. Working in the shoulder girdle, it slows down the development of the pathology of muscles, tendons and ligaments, in the hip girdle it relieves an attack of pain, restoring joint mobility.

How to prepare for the procedure

Before the procedure, you need to undergo an examination: ultrasound, complete blood and urine tests. The doctor assesses the patient’s propensity to be allergic to the drug. A small amount of synovial fluid is often taken to determine if treatment with an injection is appropriate. When analyzed in a sample, the volume of platelets and leukocytes is calculated in order to assess the type and severity of the pathology.

How the procedure works

An intra-articular block is performed by a doctor who has received training in the technique of arthrocentesis. It can be an orthopedist, traumatologist, surgeon, rheumatologist.

The procedure is carried out strictly under aseptic conditions and will take no more than 10 – 20 minutes. The drug is injected exactly into the joint cavity using a disposable syringe. The needle enters the standard points – directly into the articular cavity and paraarticularly (into the muscles and ligaments located next to the affected area). The injection is done under ultrasound guidance. This ensures that the medicine gets exactly into the joint cavity. Ultrasound helps monitor possible complications.

Technique of drug administration:

1. Before the injection, the orthopedist massages (palpates the joint). Evaluates at what angle the needle should be inserted.
2. After determining the entry zone, the doctor treats the skin with an antiseptic (povidone-iodine, Betadine), an anesthetic.
3. If an excess of inflammatory exudate is found in the joint cavity, it is removed with a special syringe. “Pumping out” fluid from the knee joint prevents the development of pathologies such as Baker’s cyst.
4. Then a hormonal preparation or hyaluronic acid is injected into the joint cavity. To do this, use a syringe with a long thin needle, so as not to damage the articular cartilage.
5. By massaging the injection site, the doctor helps the drug to be evenly distributed in the synovial cavity.
6. After an intra-articular injection, a tight bandage or orthopedic, articular bandage, caliper is applied to the knee joint.

Relief does not come immediately – pain and swelling disappear after a few days.

The treatment can be repeated after 6 to 12 months.

No special care is required after the procedure. It is enough to follow a number of simple recommendations – do not overload the joint in the first days after the injection, avoid hypothermia, overheating.

How intra-articular injections are made in the Best Clinic

In the medical center Best Clinic in Rostov-on-Don, the procedure for intra-articular injection of the drug is carried out strictly under aseptic conditions. An appointment is made by calling 8(863)200-32-08. Online registration is available.

The cost of the service is indicated on the clinic’s website in the “Prices” section. The clinic is open on weekdays from 8:00 to 20:00 (Sat 8:00 to 15:00).

What is ASIT therapy and how it is carried out. Indications, contraindications, side effects

Every year the number of people who suffer from various allergic pathologies increases. Patients are diagnosed with both relatively safe hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis caused by a reaction to flowering) and severe diseases that can significantly reduce the quality of life. To treat various forms of allergies today, a special technique is being carried out. It is called ASIT (Allergen-Specific Immunological Therapy).

The uniqueness of the technique lies in the fact that, unlike drugs, it not only allows you to get rid of the symptoms of pathologies (runny nose, sneezing, redness of the eyes, etc.), but also makes it possible for a long and stable remission.

The essence of ASIT therapy is quite simple. It consists in a gradual change in the response of the human immune system to exposure to an allergen. The treatment is based on the action of drugs that stimulate the manifestation of negative reactions from the patient’s body.

Important! Specialists managed to achieve maximum safety of contact between the allergen and the person. This is due to the fact that such contact begins with very small doses. In the future, they increase. At the same time, the stages of the immune response to the substance are also stabilized.

ASIT therapy: indications

Treatment prescribed for patients with:

• seasonal allergies
• perennial and seasonal atopic bronchial asthma
• perennial allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis

Current therapy is the only way to alleviate the condition of patients with all symptoms. It helps to significantly reduce the severity of allergy symptoms in its severe forms. In some cases, ASIT therapy makes it possible to completely eliminate the manifestations of the disease.

At the same time, the treatment helps to prevent the risks of developing sensitization (sensitivity) to other allergens. It also stops negative processes and reduces the likelihood of bronchial asthma. The therapy is also relevant in terms of reducing the doses of prescribed drugs or eliminating the need to take them.

After the treatment, the patient can return to his usual life and forget about the vivid manifestations of an unpleasant pathology. At the same time, he often does not need medical support and the use of special drugs.

ASIT therapy: contraindications

Treatment has a number of absolute contraindications, which include:

• severe blood pathologies
• serious damage to internal organs
• malignant neoplasms
• uncontrolled severe bronchial asthma
• mental disorders

ASIT therapy should be postponed in case of acute infections, pregnancy, exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

Important! Treatment is not prescribed for children under 5 years of age.

Before starting all the manipulations, the doctor must prescribe the examination necessary for a particular patient. It allows you to identify both contraindications and indications for therapy. A preliminary consultation with an allergist-immunologist is mandatory. If necessary, other specialists of narrow profiles are involved in the work. This is how the maximum safety of ASIT therapy and its effectiveness are achieved.

How is the treatment carried out?

All medical manipulations are carried out in stages.

At the preliminary examination, the doctor determines the cause of the aggressive symptoms and identifies allergens. For this, special diagnostics are carried out: skin testing or detection of specific immunoglobulins E.

The therapy itself involves the gradual introduction into the body of ever-increasing doses of allergens that are significant for a particular patient and are selected by the allergist in advance. Over time, this leads to a normalization of the immune system response. That is, gradually the patient’s body simply stops responding to the allergen with specific symptoms, getting used to it.

There are 2 main treatment regimens.

Classical

This scheme implies 2 phases:

1. Initiation. During this period, the drug with the allergen is administered to the patient with a gradual increase in the dose to the maximum possible. The initiation phase lasts several months (usually at least 4 months)

2. Maintenance. In this phase, the maximum doses of the allergen are introduced. Subcutaneously – 1 time in 7-10 days or sublingually – 3 times in 7 days. This period lasts from 6 months

Abbreviated

This scheme is relevant for mild forms of allergies. It also includes 2 phases, but differs from the classical one in that the initiation period lasts about 1.5 months.

ASIT therapy is carried out using 2 types of drugs:

1. Injected subcutaneously. This is done in the clinic using injections

2. Sublingual. They are taken as drops or dispersible (orally dissolving) tablets. Treatment in this case is carried out by the patient independently

Important! The medication should be taken regularly. At the same time, the patient should be prepared in advance for the fact that in order to achieve a pronounced clinical effect, he will need to be treated for about 3 years.

The entire course of therapy is carried out under the supervision of an allergist. Beforehand, the doctor tells about all the intricacies of treatment. The specialist also reports on nutritional features. The patient receives all the information of interest – both before the start of therapy and while taking the drugs.

Important! The key to the success of treatment is the observance of all recommendations of the doctor.

The main advantages of ASIT therapy include:

• reduction in the risk of deterioration and the development of severe complications: anaphylactic shock and angioedema
• improving the patient’s quality of life
• Allergy relief

If you see a doctor early, you can completely get rid of the disease.

Possible side effects

Although ASIT therapy is considered relatively safe, some adverse reactions may occur in the patient.

They are divided into 2 main groups:

1. Local. This category includes the occurrence of burning, swelling, redness and itching at the injection site with the allergen

2. General (systemic). These negative reactions include swelling, pain in muscles and joints, headaches, fever, bouts of bronchospasm.

It is difficult to prevent systemic reactions, so the use of drugs is always supervised by a physician

Important! During treatment, the general condition may worsen. Patients complain of weakness and ailments. This is due to the fact that the body reacts to the introduced stimulus and fights it. Reactions are normal and gradually disappear over time. To reduce the risk of undesirable effects from ASIT therapy, special preparations are used. They are administered infrequently, in small doses, and mainly to patients with poor health.

The treatment is generally well tolerated. The patient can lead a normal life and not face severe restrictions.

Benefits of contacting MEDSI

• Qualified competent doctors with extensive experience in ASIT therapy. Our allergists-immunologists have long been engaged in treatment using an effective technique. Doctors are fluent in all the subtleties of the manipulations. This allows you to reduce risks and increase the effectiveness and safety of therapy
• High results of treatment. They are provided with a comprehensive and individual approach to the organization of manipulations and their implementation. The technique has already proven its effectiveness as a result of repeated use not only in our clinic, but also in medical centers around the world
• Opportunities for a full examination before ASIT therapy. Our patients can take all the necessary tests – both before treatment and during it. For examinations, modern instruments, devices and materials are used, which guarantees the accuracy of the results
• Individual approach to each patient.