Blog: North VA Posts http://www.allergypartners.com/northernvirginia/blog/Lists/Posts/MonthlyArchive.aspx RSS feed for the North VA Posts list. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:59:42 GMT Microsoft SharePoint Foundation RSS Generator 60 en-US Blog: North VA Posts http://www.allergypartners.com/northernvirginia/blog/_layouts/images/siteIcon.png http://www.allergypartners.com/northernvirginia/blog/Lists/Posts/MonthlyArchive.aspx Allergy shots save money!! http://www.allergypartners.com/northernvirginia/blog/Lists/Posts/ViewPost.aspx?ID=14 Body:

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pollen-helps-allergies-phot.jpgAllergy shots are commonly known in the medical community as immunotherapy. They are one of (if not the) most effective treatments for allergic rhinitis (hay fever), allergic asthma and flying insect allergy. There are some data indicating that immunotherapy might be effective for atopic dermatitis (eczema) when the patient’s disease is associated with environmental aeroallergen sensitivity (especially dust mite allergy). Treatment with allergy shots can reduce your need for medications, make asthma easier to control and give relief from allergy and sinus symptoms. In children, allergy shots may reduce the risk of developing asthma later in life and reduce the risk of developing additional allergies. So what does this mean in terms of health care costs? Are the medical benefits of shots outweighed by its expense?

 
In a 7-year retrospective analysis (looking back in time) of children newly diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis, investigators compared medical costs incurred during the 6 months before starting shots to the costs for these same children that were incurred during the 6 months after completion. The per-patient 6-month total health care costs were significantly lower in the 6-month period after completion compared to the time preceding the start of shots. Interestingly, in this study only 16% o f patients completed the recommended 3 years of treatment. Even with that low completion rate, a significant savings was seen.
 
The same investigators subsequently conducted a similar 10-year retrospective study. One of the main differences in this study is that they compared the 18 month health care costs of a group of patients receiving shots to a similar group that did not. Children who received shots incurred significantly lower per-patient health care costs compared to the children who were treated with medications alone. A parallel study has been conducted with adults and similar, significant reductions in 18-month health care costs have been reported. In these patients the cost savings was approximately 41%! Allergy shots are not only the most effective treatment for certain allergic diseases, but they are also more cost effective than medications alone. That is a win-win situation!
 
 
 
Dr. Ananth Thyagarajan (Dr. T.)
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Category: Allergy Shots; Immunotherapy; Managing Allergies; Managing Asthma; Our Practice; Pollen; Prevention; Treatments
Published: 2/19/2013 3:18 PM
]]> Dianne LeDuc Allergy Shots; Immunotherapy; Managing Allergies; Managing Asthma; Our Practice; Pollen; Prevention; Treatments Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:20:31 GMT http://www.allergypartners.com/northernvirginia/blog/Lists/Posts/ViewPost.aspx?ID=14