Food Allergy Desensitization
Food allergies make daily meals stressful. Even a tiny trace of a trigger food can cause a severe reaction. Southwest Asthma & Allergy Associates offers food allergy desensitization to help your body build tolerance. This treatment safely reduces your risk of a major reaction from accidental exposure.
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What is Food Allergy Desensitization?
Food allergy desensitization gradually increases your tolerance to specific food allergens under close medical supervision. We start in our clinic with a very small amount of the food. Over a few months, you safely increase that daily dose under close medical watch. It won’t cure the allergy completely, but it keeps your immune system from overreacting to a tiny, accidental bite.
This increased tolerance may help reduce the risk of reactions from accidental exposure, cross-contact, or hidden ingredients. An accidental bite is much less likely to turn into a medical emergency, making daily meals significantly safer.
Common Food Allergy Triggers
People can be allergic to all kinds of food, but a few specific items cause most food allergy reactions. We regularly help patients manage allergies to:
- Milk
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Wheat
- Soy
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Sesame
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Symptoms to Watch For
An allergic reaction can start just a few minutes after eating. The symptoms look a bit different for everyone, but common signs include:
- Hives, itchy skin rashes, or swelling around the face and lips
- A tingling or itchy feeling inside the mouth
- Stomach aches, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Coughing, wheezing, or feeling short of breath
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
A severe reaction can quickly swell the airways and make it hard to breathe. This type of life-threatening emergency needs immediate treatment with an epinephrine auto-injector (such as an EpiPen).
Testing and Evaluation
We start by looking closely at your health history and talking through any past allergic reactions. To confirm the exact trigger, we will do a quick skin prick test or a simple blood test.
In selected cases, a supervised oral food challenge may be performed in our clinic using carefully measured amounts of the food under close medical supervision. This evaluation helps determine whether food allergy desensitization is an appropriate treatment option.
How the Treatment Works
The process is carefully monitored by our team, with dose increases performed under medical supervision and daily dosing continued at home. We break the treatment down into two steps:
- The Buildup Phase: We give the patient a tiny dose of the allergen in our office. You return every week or two to safely increase the amount, while taking the same dose at home daily between visits.
- The Maintenance Phase: Once you reach the target amount without a reaction, you stay at that level. The patient continues taking the prescribed daily dose at home to maintain the level of desensitization achieved during treatment.
You will still need to avoid the food in regular meals and carry your emergency medication, but your body will have a much higher tolerance.
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Our Approach to Your Care
With more than 40 years of experience helping families manage allergies, Southwest Asthma & Allergy Associates knows how heavy the daily stress of a food allergy can be. Our goals are simple: keep patients safe and give parents peace of mind. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all plan. Every treatment schedule is built around the specific person, their age, and their comfort level.
We also know that medical care can be a financial worry. We accept most major insurance plans and work with families to keep care accessible.
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. The protection only lasts as long as you keep taking the daily dose. If maintenance dosing is stopped, the level of protection may decrease over time and the risk of allergic reactions may increase.
The first phase of slowly raising the dose usually takes six months to a year. After that, the daily maintenance phase continues long-term.
Some patients get an itchy mouth, a mild stomach ache, or a few hives when we raise the dose. That is why we always do the increases safely in our office.
Call Southwest Asthma & Allergy Associates
If you want to see if food allergy desensitization is a good fit for your child or yourself, we are here to help. Contact Southwest Asthma & Allergy Associates today to set up an appointment with one of our doctors.
