Though there are 50-60 million allergy sufferers in the U.S., only a fraction receive treatment that can change the underlying disease. Instead, most suffer from their symptoms, try to avoid problem allergens or treat symptoms temporarily with prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. But now allergy sufferers at Memorial Institute of Health & Healing have another option for treating the cause — not just the symptoms — of their allergies.
Memorial Institute of Health & Healing, located at the Memorial Medical Building in Carthage, Illinois, has introduced area allergy sufferers to sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drop immunotherapy. Like allergy injections, allergy drops help patients build long-term tolerance to their allergies. Instead of receiving small amounts of substances that cause reactions in an injection, patients self-administer the treatment as a liquid drop placed under the tongue. Here, specialized cells receive the allergen and can safely train the body to tolerate, rather than react to, problem allergens.
The practice uses a thorough medical history, exam, and specific testing to determine what the patient is allergic to and their level of sensitivity. “This information lets us create a personalized treatment that is geared specifically to that patient’s allergy fingerprint, allowing us to treat them in a way that’s matched specifically to their needs,” says Yoon Hang Kim, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Memorial Hospital.
Because allergy drops have added safety benefits, a broader range of patients can be treated, including young children, asthmatics, patients who can’t tolerate shots, highly sensitive patients, and those with other related chronic conditions. Along with seasonal allergies, allergy drops have been shown to be effective for patients with food and mold allergies, allergic asthma, and eczema.
“We’re excited to provide patients who haven’t responded to other treatments with an option that could provide a long-term solution to their allergy problems,” says Dr. Kim.
Memorial Institute of Health & Healing combines its expertise in allergy treatment with the La Crosse Method™ Protocol, which has been refined over 50 years of clinical and research expertise. Dr. Kim adds, “Though the treatment may be new to the area, we base our treatment on methods used to effectively treat patients across the country for more than five decades.”
For more information about allergy drop treatments or to schedule an appointment, contact Memorial Insititute of Health & Healing at 217-357-6815.
