Shots may Alleviate bee Allergies
August 12, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New developments in research may ease the worry for those of you who remember the frightening experience of an insect sting.
According to a study from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, one in five people who had allergic reactions to bee, wasp and other insect stings will have a reaction as an adult. However, allergy shot treatments, or venom immunotherapy, can help build children's resistance and is recommended for those with moderate or severe reactions to stings.
David Golden, M.D., lead author of the study, says, "The good news is that for children with moderate to severe reactions, allergy shots will lower the risk of serious reactions to stings even 10 to 20 years after treatment is stopped."
Researchers studied 1,033 children with allergic reactions to insect stings, 356 of whom had allergy shots. Results showed patients who received allergy shots during childhood (3 percent) had less problems with allergic reactions in adulthood compared to those who had not received shots in their youth (17 percent).
The average time for allergy treatment was three to five years. This study shows the longest-lasting effects of allergen immunotherapy yet observed.
SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2004;351:668-674
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