If you have never had to deal with allergies, it is easy to dismiss them as a minor annoyance. But if you are among the 50 million Americans who suffer with chronic allergies, you know they are more than a runny nose, hives or stomach distress.
Allergies are our sixth leading cause of chronic disease. They significantly impact quality of life, increase the risk of multiple health problems and cost our country billions per year in medical treatments, absenteeism and lost productivity.
There is a mistaken belief that allergies begin in childhood. Not true. They can come on at any time. Furthermore, “unrelated” symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, brain fog and skin problems may well be related to undiagnosed allergies.
Whether you have allergies and are looking for a real solution, or you have unexplained symptoms that could be allergy related, you need to know about Low Dose Immunotherapy (LDI)—a breakthrough treatment for inhalant, food and chemical allergies.
What Causes Allergies?
Allergies are an abnormal reaction by your immune system to normally harmless substances in the environment. These substances, called allergens, are often inhaled and include animal dander, dust mites, molds, spores and pollens. Others are ingested. Wheat, corn, eggs, milk, soybeans, and nuts are common food allergens. Certain drugs, chemicals, plants and insect venom can also provoke an allergic response.
Whatever the allergen, every time you encounter it, your immune system reacts as if it were a harmful foreign invader, producing antibodies that attach to mast cells in your nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, ears, skin and/or stomach. Mast cells release histamine and other compounds that cause inflammation, blood vessel dilation, excess mucus production and nerve activation, which result in allergy symptoms.
Beyond the Obvious Symptoms
But that’s not the half of it. Allergies wear you down, sap your immune system and reduce your resistance to disease. Inhaled allergens can turn your respiratory tract into a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and fungi, making you more susceptible to chronic colds, cough, sinus and ear infections, bronchitis and headaches. If you have asthma, allergies also trigger more frequent attacks.
Food allergens can cause chronic digestive problems and disrupt the gut microbiota, paving the way for yeast overgrowth and leaky gut. Eczema, rashes, itching and hives not only drive you crazy but can lead to skin infections. To make matters worse, if you are allergic to one thing, you’re likely to be allergic to others, and multiple allergies compound symptoms.
About 40% of our population is genetically predisposed to developing allergies, but they often go untreated. That’s why we are so excited about Low Dose Immunotherapy (LDI).
More Than 300 Allergens
Compared to conventional allergy treatments, LDI has much broader effects. It addresses more allergens—over 300 airborne, food and chemicals allergens compared to the 20 to 40 inhalant allergens in allergy drops and shots.
It works faster and its effects last longer. Unlike conventional allergy shots and drops, which stimulate the production of antibodies that block the allergic response, LDI essentially resets your immune system. It activates immune cells called T-regulatory (Treg) cells that shut off excessive immune activity and inflammation characteristic of allergies and hypersensitivities. Tregs remain in your system for a fairly long time; half of them will still be active after 12–16 weeks.
The more activated Treg cells there are in circulation, the longer the response lasts. There is also a cumulative effect, meaning that as Tregs build up in your system, your sensitivity to allergens decreases with each successive treatment.
More Convenient, No Injections
LDI is given in sublingual drops under your tongue—no injections! And rather than weekly or biweekly treatments, you use it just once every 7 to 10 weeks.
After your initial visit and evaluation with Ronald Parker, P.A., our allergy specialist who will determine if LDI is right for you, your sublingual drops can be shipped to your home. LDI is an individualized therapy. It requires feedback from you. Each dose is adjusted, based on the symptoms you report to us after each LDI treatment, until we find the optimal dose for you. Our goal is total resolution of your allergy symptoms!
Treatments continue, one dose every 7–10 weeks, for an average of two and a half years. A booster dose every 12–18 months may be needed after that, although some people have complete symptom resolution and don’t require boosters.
Remarkably Safe & Effective
Many of our guests who are using LDI for airborne allergies report excellent improvements in hay fever, asthma, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, cough, ear infections and postnasal drip.
Those with contact allergies note fewer flare-ups of eczema, hives, psoriasis and itchy skin. We are also having good success with immediate and delayed reactions to food allergens. The overall success rate for LDI is about 90%.
This therapy is very safe—so safe that it can be used in young children, including toddlers. The doses of the allergens administered in each treatment are exceptionally low, so there is no danger of severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock. In fact, no serious reactions have ever been reported with LDI.
LDI Could Be the Answer to Your Prayers
Allergy specialist, Ronald Parker, P.A., says LDI is the most effective allergy treatment he has seen in his 30-plus years of specializing in allergy testing and treatment.
If you or a loved one is suffering with allergies of any kind, call us at 281-698-8698 to learn more about LDI and to schedule a complimentary consultation. Although it is best to come in person for your initial visit, a Telemedicine Virtual Appointment is available if you are unable to personally come to the Hotze Health & Wellness Center.
