Hay fever immunotherapy can prevent asthma diseases in advance

Immunotherapy for hay fever could prevent many asthma diseases
Around 13 million people in Germany are struggling with a pollen allergy. For those affected, however, not only are the immediate complaints a problem: Experts repeatedly warn against the dangerous health effects of hay fever. So many pollen allergy sufferers later get asthma. Thousands of such diseases could be prevented.

Thousands of asthma could be avoided
Although many people who suffer from a pollen allergy, a hyposensitization to hay fever, but not all do so. As the health insurance Barmer GEK writes in a recent press release, up to 40 percent of people with hay fever could later get allergic asthma, if not treated with care. An immunization against pollen and grasses could significantly contribute to the fact that thousands of asthma diseases do not even occur. Therefore, the health insurance advises before the start of the hay fever season to an immunotherapy.

The proper care of hay fever patients could prevent thousands of asthma cases. (Image: freshidea / fotolia.com)

"Because of imminent sequelae take very seriously"
"A hay fever should be taken very seriously because of the threatening sequelae, even if the symptoms subsided after some time. Immunotherapy therefore makes sense " Utta Petzold, allergologist at the Barmer GEK. The expert recommends to be advised by the doctor exactly. Various other experts and organizations, such as the German Allergy and Asthma Association (DAAB), have answers to the most important questions about hay fever and pollen allergy.

One million children suffer from hay fever
Around 13 million people in Germany suffer from hay fever, including one million children. Typical symptoms include a runny nose, itchy eyes and a feeling of languor. In many cases, home remedies for hay fever can relieve the symptoms. According to Barmer GEK, allergy sufferers are most likely to react to birch, alder, hazel and grass pollen, which will be available from April. "If you want to protect yourself from grass pollen, you should start a pre-seasonal immunotherapy quickly," says Petzold.

Cost of hyposensitization is worthwhile
As explained by the health insurance fund, in the case of hyposensitization, the body's own defense system learns to react less or completely to allergens by consciously bringing them into contact. "Immunotherapy takes three years, but it's well worth the effort. Above all, hyposensitization is successful when it starts at the first sign of pollen allergy, "explains Petzold. In subcutaneous immunotherapy, the allergen is injected with increasing dose weekly and later monthly under the skin. The short-term therapy is limited to a few injections before the pollen season, but also over three years. As the Barmer reports, you get the allergens in another variant of immunotherapy as drops or tablets. The costs of hyposensitization are usually covered by the health insurance. (Ad)