Allergy: vaccines reduce drug spending by 30%
Eight million Spaniards suffer Pollen allergy. According to the latest data from the Spanish Society of Allergology,one in three Spaniards is allergic, half of whom suffer from pollen allergy. The changes in temperature in the seasons are causing overpolinization, sometimes repeated, which forces to prolong the treatment with drugs. To avoid this, the use of vaccines is an alternative solution that decreases drug spending by 30%.
The Gramineae and Parietaria are the plants that cause the most allergic reactions, which requires treating the uncomfortable allergy symptoms such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis or lacrimation, with drugs. In recent years, due to the high temperatures in the months of autumn and winter have been triggered early pollination processes and, sometimes, even repeated.
The result has been an overexposure to pollen for a longer time, which is forcing the prolongation of treatment with drugs for the control of symptoms, sometimes linked to uncomfortable side effects such as, for example, drowsiness in the case of antihistamines.
Vaccines to treat pollen allergy
The effectiveness of vaccines for the treatment of pollen allergy has recently been tested by a team of allergists Nisa Hospitals -of which Dr. Agustín Fernández is part- that has carried out a study among more than 1,300 patients to measure the level of effectiveness and Satisfaction of patients treated with immunotherapy, that is, with vaccines against pollen allergy.
Dr. Agustín Fernández, Nisa hospital allergist, says that "allergy to pollen can negatively alter the daily routine of those who suffer from it, and it also has a high socio-economic cost associated with it. about the treatment of allergy, both at the social and labor level -productivity at work, quality of life, etc.- as well as in the cost of medical attention and when going to the pharmacy to buy the necessary drugs ".
According to the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunotherapy (SEAIC), the most relevant data are those related to the cost in medical and pharmacological assistance: vaccines reduce medical expenses by 40% Y 30% of those destined for symptomatic relief drugs. In this sense, Dr. Fernandez clarifies, "what is really interesting is that the vaccine is the only treatment capable of modifying the evolution of allergy, so it is convenient to analyze its convenience when designing the integral treatment that the patient allergic accurate. "
Tips to survive pollen allergy
To minimize the allergic symptoms that can cause the pollen concentration peaks that are concentrated in the months of April, May and June, Nisa Hospitals offer the following advice
1. Avoid outdoor activities as an intense physical exercise.
2. Check pollen levels through mobile applications endorsed by the Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) or on the website
3. Close the windows in houses; ventilate the house at noon and for a short time
4. Use sunglasses outdoors and mask that covers nose and mouth in days of high pollination.
5. Shower and change clothes when you get home
6. Use pollen filter in the car and air purifiers at home
7. Do not mow the lawn or prune in days of high pollination
8. When a person is already diagnosed with allergyYou should remain alert to any signs of aggravation of symptoms and seek medical advice in case of worsening.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
