Sweat sensitivity and skin allergy

 

 

Many patients suffering from atopic dermatitis complain of itching and worsening of their rash after sweating. Many patients with atopic dermatitis have been found to have an allergic sensitivity to an as yet unidentified antigen in their own sweat. The majority of these patients develop positive skin test reactions to a 1,000 to 10,000-fold diluted preparation of their own sweat, whereas only 1% of the normal population has a similar reaction.

 

Another condition known as cholinergic urticaria has now been confirmed to be due to sweat allergy. These patients develop extremely itchy small hives on their skin when they are hot or when they exercise. The majority of these patients also have positive sweat skin test.

 

More interestingly, recent clinical studies in Japan suggest that sweat desensitization treatment might be effective for these conditions. Six Japanese patients with cholinergic urticaria underwent desensitization by intradermal injections of escalating doses of their own sweat. Five out of six patients showed significant symptomatic improvement.

 

We have started to offer sweat skin test to our patients who have symptoms of sweat allergy. In those patients with positive reactions, sweat desensitization might be a viable treatment option. This might be particularly valuable to those patients suffering from cholinergic urticaria, as there is currently no other viable treatment option for these patients except antihistamines.

Reference information: http://www.allergy.hk

The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult physician before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above.

Sweat sensitivity and skin allergy

 

 

Many patients suffering from atopic dermatitis complain of itching and worsening of their rash after sweating. Many patients with atopic dermatitis have been found to have an allergic sensitivity to an as yet unidentified antigen in their own sweat. The majority of these patients develop positive skin test reactions to a 1,000 to 10,000-fold diluted preparation of their own sweat, whereas only 1% of the normal population has a similar reaction.

 

Another condition known as cholinergic urticaria has now been confirmed to be due to sweat allergy. These patients develop extremely itchy small hives on their skin when they are hot or when they exercise. The majority of these patients also have positive sweat skin test.

 

More interestingly, recent clinical studies in Japan suggest that sweat desensitization treatment might be effective for these conditions. Six Japanese patients with cholinergic urticaria underwent desensitization by intradermal injections of escalating doses of their own sweat. Five out of six patients showed significant symptomatic improvement.

 

We have started to offer sweat skin test to our patients who have symptoms of sweat allergy. In those patients with positive reactions, sweat desensitization might be a viable treatment option. This might be particularly valuable to those patients suffering from cholinergic urticaria, as there is currently no other viable treatment option for these patients except antihistamines.

Reference information: http://www.allergy.hk

The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult physician before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above.

Update on peanut allergy

Food allergy is consistently one of the most anxiety-provoking illnesses for patients or their caregivers, especially if the problem is life-threatening. Eating is something we do several times a day, and the fear that danger lurks within every bite can seriously affect one’s mental well-being. Whereas desensitization treatment has been used for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma for many decades, previous attempts to develop vaccines for food allergy have ended in failure. 

In the last two years, several studies of oral peanut desensitization have been published. While the majority of patients could be successfully desensitized, this treatment is limited by the high rate of adverse reactions and the need for close monitoring.

Sublingual desensitization is a new method of administering desensitization treatment for patients suffering from house dust mite and pollen allergies. Recent studies have shown effectiveness for patients suffering from allergic rhinitis and asthma. The advantages of this form of treatment include convenience and safety.

 A recent study of sublingual desensitization for peanut allergy shows encouraging results. The study was carried out at Duke University in North Carolina and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Eighteen children were given sublingual drops of a peanut allergen extract or placebo at increasing doses. None of the patients suffered severe adverse reactions, with only oral itching as the most significant side effect.

After 12 months of treatment, those who took the extract could tolerate 20 times the amount of peanut given in an oral challenge than those who took placebo. The average amount tolerated was 1700mg, which was equivalent to 6 – 7 peanuts. Presumably, these patients could continue to eat peanuts regularly to maintain their desensitized state thereafter.

We have started to perform sublingual peanut desensitization using the same extract recently and several patients have been successfully desensitized. We are hopeful that this would become a viable alternative for the majority of patients suffering from peanut allergy.

Reference information: www.allergy.hk/

The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult physician before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above.

Sweat sensitivity and skin allergy

Many patients suffering from atopic dermatitis complain of itching and worsening of their rash after sweating. Many patients with atopic dermatitis have been found to have an allergic sensitivity to an as yet unidentified antigen in their own sweat. The majority of these patients develop positive skin test reactions to a 1,000 to 10,000-fold diluted preparation of their own sweat, whereas only 1% of the normal population has a similar reaction.

Another condition known as cholinergic urticaria has now been confirmed to be due to sweat allergy. These patients develop extremely itchy small hives on their skin when they are hot or when they exercise. The majority of these patients also have positive sweat skin test.

More interestingly, recent clinical studies in Japan suggest that sweat desensitization treatment might be effective for these conditions. Six Japanese patients with cholinergic urticaria underwent desensitization by intradermal injections of escalating doses of their own sweat. Five out of six patients showed significant symptomatic improvement. We have started to offer sweat skin test to our patients who have symptoms of sweat allergy. In those patients with positive reactions, sweat desensitization might be a viable treatment option. This might be particularly valuable to those patients suffering from cholinergic urticaria, as there is currently no other viable treatment option for these patients except antihistamines.

Reference information: www.allergy.hk/

The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult physician before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above.