Allergology is an FMH speciality in its own right. It has the specific feature of not focusing on just one organ but on all allergic reactions where the immune system is challenged, regardless of the organ. Allergic symptoms are manifold. The most common are asthma, rhinitis and eczema. The aetiology is also varied: Pollens, mites, foods, medication, etc.
Immunologists or Allergologists treat these symptoms of immune system dysfunction case by case. The allergy is, in fact, selective and depends on the allergen, quantity and frequency, which, all things considered, trigger a reaction of varying intensity in certain individuals but yet is devoid of effect in others. This is known as selective hyperaffinity.
Stings: The “Ultra-Rush method”.
An allergy can have serious consequences in some subjects following a sting by a wasp or a bee. The very strong and often fatal reaction always occurs after the second sting, which may take place several years after the first. The strong reaction which occurs within minutes of a person being stung is known as an “anaphylactic reaction”. It comprises several stages including respiratory blockage or anaphylactic shock, the consequences of which can be fatal.
Following screening tests carried out in the allergologist’s surgery to establish whether or not a person is allergic to stings, Clinique Générale-Beaulieu proposes a specific treatment known as the “Ultra-Rush method”. The treatment comprises the inoculation of a quantity of venom equivalent to three wasp stings under medical supervision in an intensive care unit. The procedure usually requires several visits to the clinic over a 4-month period for the first treatment phase. Thanks to the “Ultra-Rush method”, the starting protocol can be carried out in a day, in an outpatient clinic. The allergic patient must then continue treatment (60 injections over five years) in order to be completely protected against a fatal sting.
