Surya
September 19, 2023
The following is an extract from a news article published by Surya, reporting on a Dubai-based teenager who underwent advanced Universal Mega Allergen testing and venom immunotherapy at Aswini Allergy Centre, Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: A 16-year-old boy studying in Dubai, accompanied by his father, approached Hyderabad-based Aswini Allergy Centre for the treatment of allergic disorders.
The boy had been suffering from different types of allergic reactions since childhood.
He had shortness of breath, rashes and itching, cold and sneezing, itching of the eyes, abdominal pain on and off, and diarrhea on and off for the past 10 years.
The boy is now preparing to move to the United States for further education, and his father desired to put an end to the child’s allergic suffering. Hence, he was anxious to undergo detailed allergy investigations and treatment at Aswini Allergy Centre.
At hospitals in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, UAE, the boy was tested with almost 56 different investigations, including MRI scan of the gut and gut biopsy.
Based on the boy’s symptoms, investigations were carried out, and he was given symptomatic treatment.
At Aswini, a thorough three-generation allergic history was taken by the Chief Allergist & Immunologist, Dr. Vyakarnam Nageshwar, which revealed that the child possessed an atopic status since childhood. The mother suffered from nasal allergies, and the father had skin allergic rashes. This had augmented the child’s allergic suffering since early childhood.
Keeping in view his allergies and also his future destination for education, the medical team at Aswini Allergy Centre, Hyderabad, decided to conduct an extensive allergen evaluation, which included not only Asian allergens but also typical American allergens.
Hence, a Universal Mega 180 Allergen Panel for allergen skin testing was undertaken for the first time in the country. (In general, 40, 80, or 100 allergen panels are tested.)
Results:
His histamine value was very high, indicating more histamine reactions even with minimal trigger or exposure to allergens.
Pulmonary function testing revealed asthma.
Food allergen panel was positive for:
a) Mushroom
b) Milk
c) Rajma
Insect and environmental allergen panel was positive for:
a) Yellow wasp – most common USA allergen
b) Honeybee – most dangerous allergen
c) Lawsonia inermis – garden grass
d) House dust mite – major global allergen
e) Cockroach – major asthma-causing allergen
f) Aspergillus fumigatus – fungal spore allergy due to prolonged exposure to humid, damp, and air-conditioned areas
He was diagnosed with allergic asthma, allergic urticaria, allergic colitis (severe abdominal pain on and off), allergic rhinitis, and fungal infections of the skin.
He was advised allergen avoidance measures and started on advanced allergen-specific sublingual immunotherapy for house dust mite, Lawsonia inermis, cockroach, and Aspergillus fumigatus.
He was advised to always carry an EpiPen 150 injection (epinephrine injection), which would help in life-threatening conditions of anaphylactic shock.
He was also kept on antihistamines, immunomodulators, and probiotics.
Venom Immunotherapy
The global gold standard treatment for honeybee and yellow wasp allergy is venom immunotherapy.
The team of doctors at Aswini Allergy Centre, Hyderabad, helped save the future of the boy by administering venom immunotherapy for yellow wasp allergy.
This will help the boy avoid extreme life-threatening allergic reactions in the future if he is accidentally bitten by these deadly insects.
