The development of allergen-specific immunotherapy in 1950-1980. Part 11
Returning to the question of whether the need for symptomatic treatment can be reduced, R. Klevel and colleagues randomized 136 patients with pollinosis. Sublingual ASIT was performed daily in increasing doses up to 300 IR. The results of the study, published in 1998, showed that the consumption of drugs had significantly decreased in the active control group. The number of patients who had asthma attacks was also significantly lower in the sublingual ASIT group compared with the placebo group (1 versus 8 patients, respectively). The side effects of immunotherapy were comparable to the placebo group. This study confirmed previous assumptions that ASIT relieves symptoms and reduces the need for drug therapy.
Change of treatment to change the disease.
Although specific data are not available, there is an assumption that the prevalence of AR in England and the United States in the early twentieth century. accounted for approximately 0.1%. In the 2000s, the spread of allergy in industrialized countries among the general population reached 25-30% and may even be 40% among children in Western countries. The social and economic impact of AR is significant; in the USA, the AR causes a loss of 3 million working days and 2 million school days annually. In the past, AR may have been considered by doctors and patients as simply annoying, mild transient irritation of the mucous membranes. This tendency to simplify the disease has led to the fact that 45% of patients with allergies in the general population were undetected and were treated with symptomatic drugs that are sold without a prescription.
Then, numerous American and European reviews showed that the AR has a more severe and harmful effect on the patient's quality of life than previously thought. Doctors may have had a tendency to downplay the seriousness of AR, as this is not a life-threatening illness. However, the classic symptoms of sneezing, itching, rhinorrhea, and nasal obstruction can also give rise to symptoms such as sleep disturbance, fatigue, irritability, memory deficits, daytime sleepiness, and depression. The burden of this disease goes beyond what can be alleviated by AGP and nasal GCS. Managing patient expectations is necessary in order to improve adherence and increase confidence in its effectiveness. Based on this, doctors are interested in feedback from the patient in order to evaluate the effect of AR on daily well-being and sleep, as well as to maximize the effectiveness of symptom therapy. Are you looking for destination wedding planning services? Here you could find everything about your wedding in Spain.