A New Approach to Allergies: Dr. Jonathan Psenka of Longevity Medical describes how sublingual immunotherapy is rapidly becoming the preferred method of treating allergies

To date, the only medical solution for allergy desensitization has included visits to an allergist’s office to receive a series of painful shots every two weeks. After a year or two of these shots it was possible to train the body to stop reacting to those allergic substances in the environment. Aside from being both painful and costly, this approach did help a great many people.

Today, allergy shots may soon become a thing of the past. A new treatment called sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is rapidly becoming the preferred way to eliminate allergies. This new treatment utilizes blood vessels underneath the tongue as a way to introduce minute dosages of allergy-causing substances into the body instead of using shots. These small dosages gradually re-train the body’s immune system to stop treating the allergic substances as hostile invaders and to begin seeing them as a normal part of the environment. SLIT works via the same general principles as allergy shots, but with less risk of adverse side effects and no injections.

Several companies prepare sublingual immunotherapy vaccines, but not all make similar products. Some companies use a master mix, which takes all of the potential allergens and puts them together in a single solution. However, researchers from several sources, including the American Association of Otolaryngic Allergists, have published concerns about this approach. First, certain types of allergens can cross-react in solution, severely decreasing the potency of the medication. Second, because master mix solutions contain a large variety of allergic substances, it is likely that there will be some things present in the solution that the person is not allergic to. These substances may have the ability to work as sensitizers, potentially initiating a new allergy.

One approach is to take a more personal approach to sublingual immunotherapy, using personalized SLIT vaccines for patients that are based on each patient’s unique allergies. Determining what a person’s particular allergies are can be done using a simple blood test. These allergy tests measure a person’s antibodies to specific allergens, which can then be used to determine not only what someone is allergic to, but also how severe their allergy may be. Using these results, it is possible to create a personalized allergy vaccine containing only the relevant allergens.

Using a sublingual immunotherapy vaccine couldn’t be easier. Simply spray the solution under the tongue—that’s it. Using this therapy can help control allergic symptoms in a matter of months, but for best results, it should be used for a year or two. After that time, allergies should disappear. The best part of SLIT is that it is extremely safe, even for young children.

Dr. Psenka works with integrative cancer therapies, IV therapy, allergies, ozone, UVBI, diet and exercise education for the treatment and prevention of disease. For more information about this exciting new therapy visit LongevityMedical.com.