Allergies in Humans

Americans suffer from allergies each year

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50 million

ACAAI | Allergy Facts, ACCAI.org. https://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies

What are Allergies?

• Allergies are a human bodily reaction to a foreign subject. Allergies are caused by allergens and these allergens are what elicit the reaction.
• Allergens elicit different responses in the body.
• These responses are called an allergic reaction. This reaction causes the body to produce IgE antibodies.

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What are allergies continued

There are various allergens in the world that people suffer from some of the most common ones include pollen, dust mites, molds, and certain foods.

These allergies can affect various organ systems, which include the skin, respiratory, and digestive.

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Figure 1. Allergy Morbidity of Children in 2018. This figure is showing how many children (in millions) were afflicted by varying allergies.

FastStats - Allergies and Hay Fever. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017 Jan 20. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm

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What Kind of Symptoms are There?

• Allergies can produce an array of symptoms in various areas of the body.
• Some of the major areas affected are the nasal cavity, eyes, skin, throat, and lungs.
• Most symptoms only mildly affect the body, the one symptom that doesn’t is anaphylaxis.

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Anaphylaxis

Sinusitis

Rhinitis

• Severe
• Life Threatening
• Can affect the mouth, lungs, heart, and gut.

• 2 kinds acute and chronic.
• The sinuses become swollen and blocked.

• An inflammation of the nose
• 4 types
• Allergy sufferers are usually affected by seasonal and allergic rhinitis.

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How do Allergies Affect Day to Day Lives?

• Allergies can cause people to miss work, school, and activities they want to participate in.
• Common issues people have with allergies are with sleep, activities, and productivity.
• Allergies can also have an emotional effect on people.

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Sleep

Work/ Activity Level

• A study looking at the impact of perennial allergic rhinitis on sleep found 66% of all subjects had sleep issues.
• Most patients experienced symptoms during sleep.
• Sleep issues lead to performance issues in life.

• The study also found that work and activity levels were also affected.
• 12% missed work due to sleep problems.
• Productivity was also affected.

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Figure 2.. Taken from the study looking at the impact of perennial allergic rhinitis with/without allergic asthma on sleep, work and activity level. Majority of patients who had allergic rhinitis and allergic rhinitis plus allergic asthma were unsatisfied with their sleep.

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Emotional Impact

• A study looked at quality life of allergy sufferers.
• Strong relationship was found between the quality of life and grass pollen exposure.
• Common problems include depression, anxiety and stress.
• In another study looking at the burden of allergies found children who had allergies experienced lower positive feelings.

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Figure 3. Parent’s perceptions of the children's overall well being. Percentage of children who have allergies compared to the children who don’t have allergies. It also shows how their allergies affect them emotionally.

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What Kind of Treatments are There?

• Various kinds
• Vaccines, serum shots, oral immunotherapy, and nasal treatments.
• Effectiveness varies from person to person.

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Vaccines

Oral / Nasal Treatments

Serum Shots

• Multiple kinds treating multiple allergies.
• Pollinex Quattro Ragweed, BM32, Five Grass Pollen.

• Usage of Antihistamines
• Relieve only for a short time.
• Simple and easy way to control allergies.
• Nasal sprays work the same way.

• Commonly known as allergy shots.
• Given every 1 to 2 weeks.
• Serum made to cater to persons allergies.
• More risks but can eradicate symptoms.

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Can Treatments Improve Symptoms?

• Hard to decide what treatment is the most effective.
• What people want is something to alleviate their symptoms.
• Multiple studies that looked at the alleviation of symptoms.

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Azelastine Study

CD83 Study

Allergic Immunotherapy

• Reduced symptoms
• On demand usage didn’t control symptoms as well as expected.
• Overall effective treatment.

• Used to alleviate allergic rhinitis.
• AR responses and symptoms inhibited.
• Potential for good treatment.

• Strongest out of all treatments.
• Reliance on recombinant or synthetic proteins.
• Usage of DNA instead of biological allergen extracts.
• Newer therapies might be the optimal way to improve symptoms.

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What Can People do to Improve Their Symptoms?

Reduce Exposure

Take Precautions

Over the Counter Remedies

• Stay inside when it is dry and windy.
• Stay away from yard work.
• Remove clothes that have been worn outside and shower immediately.

• Check daily pollen counts.
• Check the forecast.
• Avoid activity in the early morning where pollen counts are the highest.
• Keep indoor air clean.

• Multiple OTC medicines.
• Oral antihistamines, decongestants, nasal sprays.
• Top OTCs are Zyrtec, Benadryl, Flonase, and Sudafed.
• Only provide temporary relief.

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Thanks!

Any questions?

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1. ACAAI | Allergy Facts, ACCAI.org. https://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies
2. Allergies: Symptoms. Treatment, & More. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.cleavelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8610-allergy-overview.
3. FastStats - Allergies and Hay Fever. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017 Jan 20. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm
4. AAFA Anaphylaxis Severe Allergic Reaction | AAFA.org https://www.aafa.org/anaphylaxis-severe-allergic-reaction/
5. AAFA Sinusitis| AAFA.org https://www.aafa.org/sinusitis-sinus-infection/
6. AAFA Rhinitis| AAFA.org https://www.aafa.org/rhinitis-nasal-allergy-hayfever/
7. Romano, M., James, S., et.al. 2019. The impact of perennial allergic rhinitis with/without allergic asthma on sleep, work and activity level. Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology (2019) 15:81.
8. Kiotseridis, H., Cilio, C., et.al. 2013. Grass pollen allergy in children and adolescents-symptoms, health related quality of life and the value of pollen prognosis. Clinical and Translational Allergy 3:1-11.
9. Meltzer, E., Blaiss, M., et.al. 2009. Burden of allergic rhinitis: Results from the Pediatric Allergies in America Survey. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 124: S43-S70.

10. Baldrick, P., Richardson, D., et.al. 2007. Pollinex Quattro Ragweed: safety evaluation of a new allergy vaccine adjuvanted with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) for the treatment of ragweed pollen allergy. Journal of Applied Toxicology 27: 399-409.

11. Eckl-Dorna, J., Weber, M., et.al. 2019. Two years of treatment with the recombinant grass pollen allergy vaccine BM32 induces a continuously increasing allergen-specific IgG₄ response. EBioMedicine 50 (2019): 421-432.

12. F. Moingeon, P., Hrabina, M., et.al. 2008. Specific Immunotherapy for Common Grass Pollen Allergies: Pertinence of a Five Grass Pollen Vaccine. International Archives of Allergy and Immunotherapy 146: 338-342.

13. Ciprandi, G., Ricca, V., et.al. 1997. Seasonal rhinitis and azelastine: Long-or-short-term treatment? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 99: 301-307

14. Wu, Y., Song, Y., et.al. 2020. Soluble CD83 alleviates experimental rhinitis through modulating antigen-specific Th2 cell property. International Journal of Biological Sciences 16(2): 216-227.

15. Pfaar, O., Agache, I., et.al. 2019. Perspectives in allergen immunotherapy: 2019 and beyond. Allergy 74: 3-25.

16. “Pollen Allergy.” ACAAI Public Website, 29 Oct. 2018, acaai.org/allergies/types-allergies/pollen-allergy.

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