When spring hits, patients often find themselves miserable or reaching for their allergy medications daily as seasonal allergies cause eye-watering, itchy throat, nasal symptoms, and overall fatigue. Others may find themselves avoiding picnics or outdoor activities for fear of bees or other insects they may be allergic to. Some patients may have the daily struggle of working their diets around food allergies at restaurants or while cooking.

We do not know why some people develop allergies to particular substances. The most common mechanism for allergic reactions is that the immune system is exposed, or primed to an antigen or substance, and then on a subsequent exposure overreacts or is hypersensitive, attacking it. This causes a severe inflammatory reaction leading to the discomfort experienced by many during allergy season or after consuming a food item they are allergic to. This is an exaggerated reaction of the body’s natural defense used to protect itself when something foreign or harmful enters the body.

Until recently, allergists and immunologists believed that freedom from seasonal allergies, venom allergies, and mold allergies existed only after enduring a long series of allergy desensitization shots after being subjected to painful skin prick testing. Recent studies have shown that oral immunotherapy has proven to be effective for sensitivities to food, bee and insect venoms, as well as seasonal allergies.

Oral immunotherapy consists of a crude extract of the allergen and a diluting substance, which is administered to the patient orally. In some allergy practices, there is a standard beginning dose and the patient is moved through a series of oral administrations. Although this is beneficial to some, it can still elicit an allergic reaction in others if they are extremely sensitive and cannot tolerate the same level of allergen as others.

However, if the degree to which the patient is sensitive can be determined, the allergen, or antigen, can be diluted to a potency that the immune system of the patient can tolerate. Then the potency can be increased in small increments as the immune system adjusts. Using a specific technology called “EAV” screening, we can determine what the most effective “endpoint” or potency would be for each particular patient. The naturopathic doctor can then begin to reduce the inflammatory response that is set in motion when there is exposure to the allergen.

Over time, as the patient builds up to their dosage, the degree to which the symptoms are experienced is decreased and eventually elimination of allergy symptoms occurs. This is all done without a single needle!