What is Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT)?
Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is an allergen tolerance-inducing treatment for allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, asthma and food and venom allergies. AIT involves administering injections of specific allergens such as pollens, mold spores, dust mites, animal dander or insects to which an individual has been found to be allergic to by skin testing. These vaccines seem to “turn off” the abnormal immune reaction that we call an “allergy.” AIT limits allergic inflammation, and in turn the symptoms of allergy, decreases disease severity and medication requirements, and also prevents new sensitizations. Patients have noted a high degree of success in terms of either eliminating or greatly reducing their allergic symptoms.
When an allergic person is exposed to an allergic substance, he or she may develop symptoms of sneezing, running nose, nasal congestion, watery eyes, chest tightness, or wheezing.
Various cells that line the nose and the airways actually release chemicals (called “mediators”) that cause these symptoms. An inflammatory reaction accompanies this process and leads to persistent symptoms.
Allergen immunotherapy interferes with the actions of these cells to diminish the effects of the chemical mediators that cause allergic symptoms.