| While allergy immunotherapy has proven to be very | | | | less side effects to the shots and held up as well as |
| effective for many people who suffer chronic allergy | | | | traditional shots. The group also had fewer fall back |
| symptoms, many suffers still did not receive | | | | allergy symptoms requiring medication. Though lymph |
| treatment. Immunotherapy is usually tailored to the | | | | node shots may sound more painful, the lymph node |
| patient and unfortunately involves frequent shots | | | | actually contains no nerves and most participants |
| over a 3-5 year period and many trips to the doctors | | | | report less pain. Lymph nodes play a key role in the |
| office. It is most effective if done early in ones life | | | | function of the bodies immune system and the shots |
| when a severe allergy is first recognised. | | | | attack allergies more directly. This more direct |
| Now a new study out of Switzerland has found that | | | | approach lead to a 1000 fold reduction in the amount |
| direct shots to the lymph node may greatly reduce | | | | of allergen that was needed to be injected into the |
| both the number of shots and the amount of times | | | | participants. |
| they are needed. The Proceedings of the National | | | | The results could improve the lifestyle of those who |
| Academy of Sciences studied 100 hay fever suffers | | | | suffer severe allergies and have a positive economic |
| and divided them into two groups, one received | | | | impact on society. Fewer doctors visits means lower |
| traditional allergy shots and the other lymph node | | | | healthcare expenses as well as less frequent sick |
| shots. | | | | days by those who suffer from severe allergies. |
| Those who had traditional shots received 54 shots | | | | More study is however needed to validate the study |
| over a 3 year period, while the lymph node group | | | | and prove longer term effectiveness of lymph node |
| only received 3 shots over a 2 month period. | | | | shots. |
| Researchers found that the lymph node group had | | | | |