Hay fever – what are the therapies? – Diseases

There is no panacea for hay fever – as well as many other allergies. However, various treatments can relieve patients. Here is an overview of the common therapies of two experienced allergy experts speaking at the portal vielgesundheit.at .

Interview: Hay fever – what therapies are there?

Dr. Horak: The allergic reaction goes down to the point that the immune system recognizes a substance (the allergen) and decides that this substance is potentially dangerous to the body, then activates it. other cells, which then emit messenger substances when they come in contact with the allergens. And these messenger substances then lead to unpleasant reactions in the patient.

Note: In case of untreated allergy, symptoms can migrate from the nose, eyes, throat, up to the bronchi and lungs. This can lead to allergic asthma, therefore, early diagnosis and therapy are crucial.

Horak: There are different symptoms that can trigger an allergy. The best known is probably the hay fever, so an inflammation of the nose and eyes. You can diagnose allergies with a series of tests. The most common is the skin test in which the allergens, the substances to be examined are applied on the forearm and carved here, and then the result can be read. In addition, you can also do a blood test.

Note: If a pollen allergy is detected, it may be well treated with immunotherapy.

Hay fever: specific immunotherapy

Dr. Horak: The principle of immunotherapy is that the body is accustomed to increasing the dose of the allergen at which he answers. There are basically two different forms, one is subcutaneous or vaccine therapy, the other is sublingual therapy, it falls off or tablets are placed on the tongue, these dissolve and can then to be swallowed. Sublingual immunotherapy is started about two to four months before the scheduled pollen season. It must be taken daily and continued until the end of the flowering season.

Note: For immunotherapy to be successful, it must be practiced for at least three years. The patient's adherence to therapy is therefore particularly important.

Horak: You must properly discuss with the patient what he is undertaking. When he gets involved in this therapy, he really has to adhere to it every day for three years. If the therapy is stopped earlier, do not expect the same success to occur and that success will last several years. In children, of course, it depends a lot on the support of the parents.

Note: In addition to causal therapy of course, avoidance triggers of allergy is of particular importance. The best way to avoid pollen counting is with the Austrian Pollen Alert Service.

Hr. Berger: Based on the data we obtain from our polling stations, the Pollenwarndienst provides up-to-date forecasts that help people with allergies avoid burdens and react accordingly. We provide textual information on what the medium and long term will look like over the next few days, and what information is available where and where. We have graphical stress maps that show us how pollution occurs on a particular site in Austria today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. We have seasonal graphics with which we show our allergies when and when allergenic flowers in the long term average with us and also have European maps to facilitate, for example, vacation planning.

Note: Information on specific immunotherapy is provided by the Interessengemeinschaft Allergenvermeidung (IGAV). In a separate forum, experts answer questions on this topic. Allergies are serious diseases that should not be taken lightly. However, the allergy vaccine can significantly reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

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Sources:

¹ How is hay fever treated? (Allergieinformationsdienst.de)
¹ Hay Fever – Therapies at a glance? [Bayrischer Rundfunk]

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