Desensitisation

Desensitisation is one of the treatments available for inducing temporary or permanent tolerance by repeatedly administering to patients repeated doses of the allergen causing them problems. It is a commonly used procedure for treating allergies to some medications and foods.

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Description

Desensitisation consists of administering, under controlled conditions, increasing doses of the allergen the patient is sensitised to, to make them tolerant of the medication or food that causes them problems.

This usually induces temporary tolerance, which means the patient can receive treatments they were originally allergic to, instead of having to take less effective alternatives. In the case of foods, patients may become completely tolerant to them or gain some protection against accidental ingestion of the allergen.

Patients undergo desensitisation treatment under the care of an allergist, at the hospital.