Frequently 
Asked Questions
About OIT

What Food Allergies Can You Treat With OIT?

Our OIT program covers allergies for:

  • egg
  • dairy
  • soy
  • sesame seed
  • sunflower seed
  • peanut
  • chickpea
  • lentil
  • tree nut (almond, cashew, hazelnut and walnut)
  • green pea

How Many Allergies Can You Treat At Once?

Treatment will vary from patient to patient, but the most we can treat is 3 food allergies (at a time).

What Is The Goal Of OIT?

The goal of OIT is unique for each patient depending on history, testing, and family preference. Many choose OIT so that over time they can freely eat food that previously threatened their health. Patients that “graduate” our OIT program will continue to keep taking one serving of that food every day to keep up their resistance.

How Do I Know If My Child Is A Candidate For OIT?

OIT is worth considering for anyone suffering from food allergies. We’ll be able to determine if OIT is a good choice for you or your child in our first consult. Keep in mind that this is at minimum at 6-month commitment where you’ll be visiting our clinic weekly to increase doses.

What Is The Risk Of OIT?

Whenever you’re dealing with allergy immunotherapy, there is a risk of reaction. We’ll be introducing and increasing doses of food allergens over the period of treatment. If there ever is a serious reaction to the food,  our staff is available 24/7 to address any concerns.

Is OIT Safe?

There are many studies supporting that under close medical supervision, peanut OIT can be safe and effective for raising the threshold of allergen needed to trigger an allergic reaction for many patients.
Review the clinical data here.

How Long Does The Process Take?

Most of our patients finish the OIT process between 6-10 months. Most "hiccups" in the process come from delaying a visit due to unrelated sickness.

Do you Offer Allergy Drops For Food Allergies?

Yes we do -- for ages as young as two years old.

What Is The Difference Between Food Allergy Drops and OIT?

Like environmental allergy drops, food allergy drops are taken daily under the tongue and contain very small amounts of the allergen. Over time, the body builds up a tolerance to the allergen, so that should accidental exposure occur, the risk is extremely low for the patient to have a severe reaction.

While a reaction may occur, even to the point where someone may want to take an antihistamine, there is an extremely low chance of an anaphylactic reaction. Food allergy drops is not going to stop the body from reacting to an allergen, and needs to be taken on a regular basis with no end in sight.

Upon completion of OIT, on the other hand, a patient may freely eat the foods that once threatened them with no reaction at all. Food allergy drops are often a great precursor to OIT, to build up one’s tolerance to a food allergen before starting the treatment.

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