About Allergies: Immunotherapy for Eczema

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Allergies Allergies Symptoms / Diagnosis Treatment Coping From Daniel More, MD, your Guide to Allergies Immunotherapy, including allergy shots and drops, have been used for decades for the treatment of hay fever, asthma and venom allergies. More recently, immunotherapy has been approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, commonly called referred to as eczema in children. Allergy shots seems to be more effective at reducing the amount of skin involved in people with severe eczema, as well as reducing the amount of topical steroid creams needed. Allergy drops, on the other hand, seem to be more effective at the treatment of mild atopic dermatitis. Immunotherapy offers another treatment for atopic dermatitis, and represents the only therapy that can actually fix the underlying problem of allergies. Immunotherapy for Eczema Atopic dermatitis is often the first symptom of allergic disease, commonly affecting young children, typically before 5 years of age. Atopic dermatitis is triggered by allergies to foods and environmental allergens (such as pollen, molds, pet dander and dust mites) in 85% of affected people. In many children with atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis will begin to develop at school age, and some of these children will develop asthma by adolescence. This progression of allergic disease is called the "atopic march". There has been some success at stopping the atopic march through the use of medications and immunotherapy (allergy shots). See More About:  atopic dermatitis  eczema  topical steroids Allergy Shots When medications fail to adequately control allergy symptoms and avoidance of the trigger is not easy or possible, an allergist may recommend immunotherapy or "allergy shots". This treatment consists of a series of injections containing small amounts of the substances to which a person is allergic. After a course of allergy shots, 80 to 90 percent of patients have less allergy symptoms, and in many cases their allergies have completely resolved. Allergy shots can be given for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis (nose and eyes), allergic asthma and insect sting allergies. See More About:  hayfever  skin testing  antihistamines Allergy Drops Sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, is a form of immunotherapy that involves putting drops of allergen extracts under the tongue. Many people refer to this process as "allergy drops," and it is an alternative treatment for allergy shots. This form of immunotherapy has been used for years in Europe, and recently has had increased interest in the United States. However, it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. See More About:  allergy testing  allergy shots  allergist Allergy Shots and Drops (Immunotherapy) Discussion of what allergy shots are, what they are used for and how they work are presented. Risks and benefits of allergy shots are also described. Allergies Ads Seasonal Allergies Pollen Allergies Eczema Allergies Eczema Treatment Allergies Featured Articles Alternative Therapies in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergies Glossary of Terms Information on the Most Common Allergy Medications Allergy Basics Frequently Asked Questions Nose and Eye Allergies   More from About.com Bake Sale Bestsellers Make your next bake sale a profitable one with these irresistible recipes. More> Real Recipes app Download our highly-rated app for free recipes and kitchen tools, for iPhone and iPod Touch. More> This newsletter is written by: Daniel More, MD Allergies Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Allergies newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2012 About.com   Must Reads What are Allergies? Symptoms of Allergies Diagnosis of Allergies Treatment of Allergies Preventing Allergies   Follow me on: Advertisement