Now Also Consulting in Central London & Glasgow

Enzyme Potentiated Desensitisation (EPD)

Multiple allergies are far more common than reactions to a single factor: people with asthma often react to common dust, dust mite and moulds; symptoms of hay fever occur as a result of reaction to a number of grass or tree pollens; digestive problems are often linked with numerous food items. Whenever possible, simple avoidance of these factors is often enough to clear the symptoms and makes good sense. Patients with inhalant allergies may benefit from regular use of efficient air filters and often lose their symptoms when on holiday in places with low humidity. Others have to omit from their menu only a few foods, known to cause them problems. Approximately 80% of patients find this approach satisfactory.

Sometimes, it is very difficult or practically impossible to prevent symptoms in this way (e.g. having to give up wheat and other grains; asthma from allergy to a loved pet, allergic rhinitis from common dust). In these cases, desensitisation (switching-off) of the allergies is the most effective method of treatment. Many patients who require this have been ill with multiple allergies for a number of years and may have tried other methods, including conventional treatments and symptom controlling medications, without success.

In the 20th century, different types of desensitisation have been used in the western medicine with variable success. One of these methods has been used by many doctors in the U.K. to prevent symptoms of hay fever, by means of tiny injections of pollen given pre-seasonally. This type of desensitisation was withdrawn from general use in Britain, in the mid-eighties as it had caused rare but severe allergic reactions (bronchospasm or anaphylactic shock). In the last twenty years, this has been succeeded to an extent, by the “sub-lingual” immunotherapy, which is mainly helpful with common inhalant allergies (eg dust mites, pollens and animal dander)

In the last 45 years, two other methods have been developed and have been used by doctors with special interest in allergic conditions:

Neutralisation Method

Neutralisation method (“low-dose” immunotherapy), which uses “provocation (skin) tests” to determine the concentration of each allergic factor, which can turn an allergy off. This requires self-administered injections for maintenance. It is available in very few allergy centres in the U.K. and is more popular in the USA, especially amongst a few ENT surgeons and some private clinics. We use this method in our Clinic for suitable problems.