Yes. Immunotherapy is currently the only medical intervention that can potentially change your natural course of allergic diseases. Sublingual immunotherapy has been shown to reduce the development of new allergies over time and to prevent or reduce the further progression of allergic diseases in all ages. In young children, a common progression of allergic disease is called the “atopic march” – typically beginning with eczema, then food allergies, then “hayfever” or allergic rhinitis, then asthma. Sublingual immunotherapy treatment offers the earliest and safest mode of intervention to attempt to train a young child’s immune system to follow a different course with potentially dramatically better long-term outcomes.
Sublingual Immunotherapy has also been shown repeatedly in studies about asthma and allergic rhinitis to reduce symptoms related to allergies to a similar or greater extent than medications alone. There is abundant additional clinical evidence of the benefits of properly-done SLIT treatments over avoidance or over medication treatments alone. SLIT can help improve stubborn atopic dermatitis (eczema), some causes of hives, various other rashes, certain chronic GI symptoms, tolerance to foods, several inflammation-related conditions including headaches, joint pain, sinus congestion, and more.
Additionally, there continues to be growing research and scientific evidence that strict avoidance of food allergens may contribute to the rise in food allergy prevalence and controlled exposures to these food allergens instead (as can be achieved with a method like SLIT) may provide the most potential protection.