Combining Asthma Medication With Allergy Shots May Be Effective In Treating Cat Allergies
Injecting the immune system with lab-made antibodies may better prepare it to fight against cat allergies than regular allergy injections alone. Combining asthma medication with allergy shots may be effective in treating cat allergies. Allergy symptoms were also decreased for up to a year after treatment ended, according to recent research. Immunotherapy, or allergy injections, has been used for over a century to alleviate allergy symptoms including itchiness, watery eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, and congestion.
Author:Rhyley CarneyReviewer:Paula M. GrahamNov 06, 202224.2K Shares323.5K Views
Injecting the immune system with lab-made antibodies may better prepare it to fight against cat allergies than regular allergy injections alone. Combining asthma medication with allergy shots may be effective in treating cat allergies. Allergy symptoms were also decreased for up to a year after treatment ended, according to a recent research.
Immunotherapy, or allergy injections, has been used for over a century to alleviate allergy symptoms including itchiness, watery eyes, sneezing, a runny nose, and congestion. Allergens, the substances to which individuals are sensitive, are included in very minute quantities in the injections. By receiving injections once every one to four weeks for three to five years, patients may develop a tolerance to the allergen over time.
What Is Cat Allergy?
Sneezing, nasal itching, coughing, rashes, and even asthma attacks are some of the signs of a cat allergy, and that the intensity of these symptoms may change from day to day. It's not uncommon for cold symptoms to be mistaken for allergy symptoms.
The doctor recommends an allergy skin test if you or your kid are concerned about being allergic to pets. This easy process involves applying the cat allergen directly to your skin. Redness, itching, or swelling are classic signs of an allergic response.
Dr. Kabir is an osteopathic physician, and he treats his patients holistically, taking into account the impact that the patients' circumstances and routines have on their well-being and allergy diagnosis. She often advises patients to space out their therapy, allowing for adjustments as needed. Lessening the severity of symptoms begins with limiting exposure. It is possible to keep pet dander to a minimum even while sharing a home with others.
Try a filter that has been approved by the HEPA standard. If you and your cat spend time in the same room, you should invest in a HEPA-approved air filter and a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Think about the time you take to relax in the bath. Kabir agrees that soaking your cat in the tub might be too much to ask, but he suggests wiping it down with a damp towel daily to stop it from making allergens. Keep your cat out of your bedroom.
Clean up the bedroom (especially the furniture) and try to keep the door closed as much as possible to avoid dust and debris being tracked in. Time is needed for these treatments. Cat allergies, which Dr. Kabir describes as "extremely minute protein particles," may remain in a home for up to six months after the cat has been removed.
All you need to know about cat allergies & what you can do about them!
Allergy Therapy For Cat Allergy
According to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases allergist Lisa Wheatley, experts don't know how allergy injections function despite their extensive usage. Some individuals require allergy injections forever, while others are healed.
The study examined if researchers might reduce allergy shot time while still providing long-term treatment. She adds the team also wanted to understand immunotherapy. Some immune cells release warning molecules that cause allergies and other symptoms. Wheatley suggests dampening "danger" signals to enhance immunotherapy.
She and colleagues blocked TSLP with the monoclonal antibody tezepelumab. Researchers knew the antibody was safe since it treats asthma. Researchers gave 121 cat allergy patients regular allergy injections, tezepelumab, a combination, or a placebo. Tezepelumab alone was no better than a placebo, researchers discovered.
Researchers report on October 9 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology that after a year of therapy, persons who received the mixture reported less allergy reactions to cat dander squirted up their nostrils than those who had regular doses.
The combination reduced IgE levels, even a year after therapy ceased. Wheatley said after routine doses ended, IgE levels returned to baseline in patients. The scientists discovered that the medication changes inflammation-triggering gene activity in certain immune cells. An examination of nasal swabs indicated that combination treatment reduced mast cell tryptase, a significant allergen.
Edward Zoratti, an allergist and immunologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit who was not involved in the research, thinks tezepelumab may work for other allergies, but the findings are promising.
Final Words
Allergies in cats are triggered by reactivity to a single, sticky protein found in cats' saliva and in flakes of dead skin cells (dander). The proteins in cockroaches, on the other hand, may trigger allergic reactions in certain people. The high cost of monoclonal antibodies is another potential issue.
The study is helpful for understanding the mechanisms behind allergy medications, but much more research is required before this or any other therapy is added to allergy injections in a doctor's office. It's an intermediate step on the road to potentially life-saving treatment.
Rhyley Carney
Author
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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