Patient's question:
How effective is asthma desensitization treatment? Can it be completely cured? What are the side effects??Doctor's answer:
Childhood asthma is a complex disease caused by multiple factors, with one important factor being the development of allergic reactions in the body due to repeated exposure to allergens. There are two key factors contributing to allergic reactions in the body: first, the existence of allergens in nature; second, the high sensitivity of children with asthma to allergens. To reduce the occurrence of allergic reactions and prevent asthma attacks, in addition to actively avoiding allergen exposure, desensitization therapy can also be performed. To determine which allergens a child with asthma is allergic to, an allergen test must first be conducted. However, there are tens of thousands of allergens in nature. Even if it is known that a child with asthma is allergic to certain allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, cigarette smoke, shrimp, household dust, crabs, cockroaches, cats, soybeans, peanuts, vegetables, feathers, eggs, milk, fish, mulberry, beef, and egg yolks, it can be difficult to completely avoid exposure. Currently, our pediatric department has established an "Asthma Family" and has introduced desensitization therapy for allergens—specific desensitization therapy, also known as multiple allergen desensitization therapy. Through desensitization therapy, the body's sensitivity to multiple allergens can be reduced, thereby decreasing the incidence of asthma. Desensitization therapy is not complex. First, an allergen skin test should be conducted, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to determine which allergens the child is allergic to. Then, desensitization therapy should be performed targeting the identified allergens. Desensitization therapy has a long duration because asthma is a chronic, recurrent disease. To desensitize the body and reduce its sensitivity to allergens, it cannot be rushed. Desensitization therapy is divided into two stages: the initial stage and the maintenance stage. The initial stage requires starting with the lowest concentration, with injections once a week, and then increasing the concentration by one each month for about six months. The maintenance stage begins with injections once a week, followed by injections every 1.5 months, and is maintained for 1.5 to 2 years. Due to the slow onset of action of desensitization therapy, it is absolutely essential not to be impatient. Observations show that most patients begin to see effects after 2 to 3 months of injections, with noticeable improvements after about six months. Therefore, pediatric asthma experts emphasize that it is crucial to be patient and adhere to regular medication, starting treatment early to achieve better results. Based on clinical experience, the effective rate of desensitization therapy is over 80%. Additionally, desensitization therapy is also suitable for other specific constitution diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, specific dermatitis, and allergic purpura.