Editing Allergy (section)

===Immunotherapy===
{{main|Allergen immunotherapy}}
[[File:Anti-Allergy Immunotherapy.jpg|thumb|Anti-allergy immunotherapy]]
Allergen [[immunotherapy]] is useful for environmental allergies, allergies to insect bites, and asthma.<ref name=NIH2015Imm/><ref name=Abra2010/> Its benefit for food allergies is unclear and thus not recommended.<ref name=NIH2015Imm/> Immunotherapy involves exposing people to larger and larger amounts of allergen in an effort to change the immune system's response.<ref name=NIH2015Imm/>

Meta-analyses have found that injections of allergens under the skin is effective in the treatment in allergic rhinitis in children<ref name="Penagos06">{{cite journal | vauthors = Penagos M, Compalati E, Tarantini F, Baena-Cagnani R, Huerta J, Passalacqua G, Canonica GW | title = Efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis in pediatric patients 3 to 18 years of age: a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials | journal = Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology | volume = 97 | issue = 2 | pages = 141–48 | date = August 2006 | pmid = 16937742 | doi = 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)60004-X }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Calderon MA, Alves B, Jacobson M, Hurwitz B, Sheikh A, Durham S | title = Allergen injection immunotherapy for seasonal allergic rhinitis | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 1 | pages = CD001936 | date = January 2007 | volume = 2007 | pmid = 17253469 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD001936.pub2 | pmc = 7017974 }}</ref> and in asthma.<ref name=Abra2010>{{cite journal | vauthors = Abramson MJ, Puy RM, Weiner JM | title = Injection allergen immunotherapy for asthma | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 8 | pages = CD001186 | date = August 2010 | pmid = 20687065 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD001186.pub2 }}</ref> The benefits may last for years after treatment is stopped.<ref name=Canonica09/> It is generally safe and effective for allergic rhinitis and [[Allergic conjunctivitis|conjunctivitis]], allergic forms of asthma, and stinging insects.<ref name="pmid17803880"/>

To a lesser extent, the evidence also supports the use of [[sublingual immunotherapy]] for rhinitis and asthma.<ref name=Canonica09>{{cite journal | vauthors = Canonica GW, Bousquet J, Casale T, Lockey RF, Baena-Cagnani CE, Pawankar R, Potter PC, Bousquet PJ, Cox LS, Durham SR, Nelson HS, Passalacqua G, Ryan DP, Brozek JL, Compalati E, Dahl R, Delgado L, van Wijk RG, Gower RG, Ledford DK, Filho NR, Valovirta EJ, Yusuf OM, Zuberbier T, Akhanda W, Almarales RC, Ansotegui I, Bonifazi F, Ceuppens J, Chivato T, Dimova D, Dumitrascu D, Fontana L, Katelaris CH, Kaulsay R, Kuna P, Larenas-Linnemann D, Manoussakis M, Nekam K, Nunes C, O'Hehir R, Olaguibel JM, Onder NB, Park JW, Priftanji A, Puy R, Sarmiento L, Scadding G, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Seberova E, Sepiashvili R, Solé D, Togias A, Tomino C, Toskala E, Van Beever H, Vieths S | display-authors = 6 | title = Sub-lingual immunotherapy: World Allergy Organization Position Paper 2009 | journal = Allergy | volume = 64 | issue = Suppl 91 | pages = 1–59 | date = December 2009 | pmid = 20041860 | doi = 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2009.02309.x | s2cid = 10420738 | url = http://www.worldallergy.org/publications/slit-wao-pp_final.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111112132041/http://www.worldallergy.org/publications/slit-wao-pp_final.pdf | archive-date = 12 November 2011 }}</ref> For seasonal allergies the benefit is small.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Di Bona D, Plaia A, Leto-Barone MS, La Piana S, Di Lorenzo G | title = Efficacy of Grass Pollen Allergen Sublingual Immunotherapy Tablets for Seasonal Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | journal = JAMA Internal Medicine | volume = 175 | issue = 8 | pages = 1301–09 | date = August 2015 | pmid = 26120825 | doi = 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.2840 | doi-access = free }}</ref> In this form the allergen is given under the tongue and people often prefer it to injections.<ref name=Canonica09/> Immunotherapy is not recommended as a stand-alone treatment for asthma.<ref name=Canonica09/>