With this type of allergy, the child “must fight at every step to catch up with his peers”

The allergy to house dust mites is the strongest risk factor for asthma development – experts donated on Friday at a press meeting in Warsaw. The most effective and profitable method of treating allergies to Roztocze is desensitization, which is also a kind of prevention of asthma – they pointed out.

The data cited by specialists show that in Poland over 40 percent of people have symptomatic allergies. The latest analysis from 2025, whose results were presented by prof. Krzysztof Kowal, head of the Department of Allergology and Experimental Immunology of the Medical University of Bialystok, indicates that compared to other European countries – in Poland we have the greatest increase in the incidence of allergies in the children's population. The specialist reminded that very young children are dominated by food and skin allergies, but from around 6-7 years of age, inhalation allergies become dominant – e.g. for pollen, fungal spores, for dust dust, animal hair.

– There are three main teams in inhaled allergies: conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis (Ann) and asthma caused by inhaled allergens – mentioned prof. Blacksmith. According to the data he moved, as much as 20 percent in Poland. The population has allergic rhinitis. Prof. Kowal pointed out that Ann is accompanied by various health problems, such as headaches, frequent infections, sleep disorders, otitis media, nasal sinusitis, depression and learning difficulties. That is why children with this disease have a much worse quality of life than their peers.

“A child with allergic rhinitis must fight at every step to catch up with his peers,” he said.

He pointed out that although children from Ann have worse academic performance than children without this disease, effective treatment can significantly alleviate the negative impact of Ann on cognitive abilities. The latest study he cited, which appeared a few days ago, shows that the use of allergen immunotherapy, usually referred to as desensitization, twice improved the efficiency of the learning process in teenagers with Ann compared to pharmacological treatment.

– As allergic rhinitis continues, numerous complications appear. One of them is asthma. And depending on what allergens we are allergic to, the risk of developing asthma will be different – explained prof. Blacksmith. The allergy to the house dust mites, and especially the allergic rhinitis (Ann) associated with it, creates the greatest risk of asthma.

Chairman of the Polish Federation of Associations of Patients with Asthma, Allergy and COPD dr hab. Piotr Dąbrowiecki reminded that in the middle of patients with allergy to mites and allergic rhinitis, asthma develops. That is why the world initiative to combat asthma – Gina recommends the use of allergen immunotherapy in prevention, as well as in the treatment of allergic asthma. – If we have a patient with asthma and tests confirm that his symptoms depend on the allergy to mites, then we should start to deerate this patient – the specialist explained.

He cited the results of research indicating that the patients treated in this way improved lung function, the number of severe exacerbations of asthma decreases, as well as the number and duration of hospitalization because of them, the number of pneumonia and the need to use antibiotics are also decreasing. What's more, such treated patients need less inhaled steroids, less beta-2-mimetics to expand bronchi and other drugs used in asthma therapy, mentioned Dr. Dąbrowiecki.

– Allergen immunotherapy is an excellent method of treating allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma, as well as asthma prevention. It is a method that works even long after stopping its use – it is effective at least five years after treatment. There is no such second therapy and it seems to me that we use it too rarely – said the expert. He noted that this is a very profitable treatment for the health care system.

Prof. Marek Jutel, a consultant for allergology of the Lower Silesian Voivodship, explained that allergen immunotherapy can be used in the form of subcutaneous or sub -provisions. The duration of desensitis is a minimum of three years.

The research he presented shows that the sublingual method is as effective as subcutaneous, allows you to reduce allergy symptoms, reduce the doses of the drugs used, and sometimes even completely discontinue them. It is also safer and more convenient for patients, because it can be used at home and there is no need to go to the medical center.

– In small patients over 5 years of age, but also in teenagers, the use of immunotherapy – especially with allergens of house dust mites – has an unbelievable effect that you can get a complete remission of asthma symptoms – said prof. Jutel. He added that allergen immunotherapy in sublingual form is associated with a much smaller risk of dangerous system reactions than the subcutaneous risk. In his opinion, this is a very important argument in favor of using this form of treatment. Another argument is that children often have fear of injections.

National Consultant for allergology prof. Karina Jahnz-Różyk reminded that currently sublingual allergen immunotherapy for patients with inhaled allergy to house dust mites is reimbursed from 12 to 18 years of age, and from January 1, 2025 also for adults over 18 years of age. A group that still does not have reimbursed desensitization to mites using the sublingual method are children between 5 and 12 years old.

According to prof. The blacksmith's lack of reimbursement is the reason that patients' parents give up a more convenient form of desensitization in favor of subcutaneous injections.

Prof. Jahnz-Różyk pointed out that there is currently a reimbursement process of sublingual therapy also for younger children, i.e. 5-12 years.