GLEN ALLEN, Va. — Allergy sufferers in Central Virginia have a new way to combat symptoms that won't require weekly visits to the doctor's office.
Dr. Jaimin Patel at Allerpoint, located at Richmond Allergy in Glen Allen, is Virginia's sole provider of intralymphatic immunotherapy, known as ILIT.
Unlike traditional allergy shots that take years of scheduled visits, ILIT requires three ultrasound-guided injections into a lymph node spaced four weeks apart over a two-month period.
"Over time, I became interested in immunotherapy. It's because I can have a direct impact on the immune system and that can provide long-lasting benefit for the patients," Patel said.
Patel said most allergists do not seek to offer the procedure because of the required ultrasound training. He received that training during his internal medicine studies at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America consistently ranks Richmond among the most challenging cities to live in for people who suffer from seasonal pollen allergies.
Sara Stewart has lived in Richmond for seven years and takes prescribed medicine to manage her allergy symptoms.
"Sometimes I'll get really tired throughout the day with coughing, sneezing, and sore throat," Stewart said. "I'll have to do gua sha in the morning to clear my sinuses, but I take a prescription medicine. It's a low dose, but it does the job."
Maria-Love Clardy said her son is a lifelong sufferer of allergies and was diagnosed with asthma as a child.
"He has had issues with allergies, pollen, mold, all the things, grass, and seasonal," Clardy said. "When he started playing outdoor sports, softball, baseball — I noticed that he was sneezing, itchy throat, runny nose, watery eyes, and so that's when I first noticed there was an issue."
Patel's patients travel from across the East Coast for ILIT. He said the procedure is popular among college students and busy professionals who are limited on their time away from work.
"I actually have a lot of patients who, during spring pollen season and the fall pollen season, they will actually not leave to go outdoors. If they do, they will wear an N95 mask when they go out," he said.
Unlike traditional allergy shots, ILIT is currently not covered by insurance, and each visit costs $1,300.
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