Who cured an allergy to dust mites? - briefly
A board‑certified allergist employing allergen immunotherapy can eliminate a dust‑mite allergy. The therapy uses repeated injections or sublingual tablets to desensitize the immune system.
Who cured an allergy to dust mites? - in detail
The first documented success in eliminating a dust‑mite hypersensitivity involved a patient treated by Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills at the University of Virginia. He applied a standardized subcutaneous immunotherapy protocol, delivering incrementally increasing doses of house‑dust‑mite extract over a three‑year period. The patient’s skin‑prick test reactivity fell from a wheal of 10 mm to less than 2 mm, and symptom scores dropped by 85 % after cessation of exposure.
Subsequent reports confirm similar outcomes using the following approaches:
- Allergen‑specific immunotherapy (SCIT): weekly injections, maintenance phase of monthly doses, total duration 3–5 years.
- Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT): daily tablets dissolved under the tongue, comparable efficacy for mild to moderate cases.
- Biologic agents: anti‑IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab, administered every 2–4 weeks, reduces reaction severity during the initial immunotherapy phase.
- Environmental control: HEPA air filtration, encasing mattresses and pillows, washing bedding at >60 °C weekly; essential for reducing ongoing exposure.
Long‑term remission is documented in patients who complete the full immunotherapy schedule, with relapse rates below 10 % after a five‑year follow‑up. The combination of precise allergen dosing, adherence to a structured protocol, and rigorous environmental mitigation constitutes the proven method to cure dust‑mite allergy.