Wasps are on the move again in summer. This is a stressful time for people suffering from wasp sting allergy like Margrit Decoster-Jost. After a wasp sting to which she had a particularly severe reaction, she decided to undergo desensitization at the USZ.
As a child, Margrit Decoster-Jost remembers that wasp stings didn’t bother her.
She spends a lot of time outdoors – in her garden and with her two retriever dogs, which she also takes hunting.
She also acts as a dog training judge.
She was unaware of her severe wasp venom allergy until a few years ago.
However, when she startled a wasp nest while trimming a hedge a few years ago and was stung several times, she reacted violently.
Nausea, weakness – she had to go to hospital.
She had herself tested at the USZ and found out that she was highly allergic to wasp stings.
Allergic shock during a walk in the woods
“I thought it was a one-off thing and let it go – until one day I was out in the woods with my colleagues and the dogs,” she says looking back. “A wasp from a nest in the ground stung me, shortly afterwards I felt sick, I had to lie down and my blood pressure dropped dramatically. An allergy sufferer in the group reacted immediately and less than ten minutes later I was in hospital – luckily for me, because this second reaction was very severe.” After this experience, Margrit Decoster-Jost decided to undergo desensitization at the USZ, also known as allergen-specific immunotherapy ASIT. “If I hadn’t had this therapy, it would have been extremely dangerous for me to be stung by a wasp. Being out alone in the great outdoors would always be a big risk. And you might not always have a syringe with you for immediate help,” she says, explaining her decision.
The body develops the antibodies
Desensitization with insect venom is a great relief for allergy sufferers with severe symptoms. It is carried out in various steps. With the Ultrarush method, protection can be built up within just a few hours through repeated, increasing doses of the allergen, in this case wasp venom. After this, severe allergies to the venom are largely eliminated. The substance is injected under the skin. Side effects can include redness, swelling or itching at the injection site. However, these side effects are usually minor and subside quickly. As more severe allergic reactions can also occur in rare cases, this treatment is carried out with appropriate precautions and patients remain at the USZ for observation during the day after the first treatment. Within a few days, the body develops the necessary antibodies to protect against a severe allergic reaction. Repeated injections at intervals of several weeks over a period of three to five years are necessary for lasting protection. These can also be administered by your family doctor. In many cases, lasting, lifelong protection can be achieved with this therapy.
Allergies clarification and treatment
In our allergy ward we diagnose and treat allergies of all kinds comprehensively, with years of experience and at the same time according to the latest state of knowledge.
Relax in the garden in wasp year 2018
“For the long-term effect, I completed the fourth year of desensitization. I had to go for treatment every six weeks. But the effort was worth it,” explains Margrit Decoster-Jost. The success rate of desensitization for a wasp venom allergy is almost 95 percent. In the case of bee venom allergies, 80 to 85 percent of patients are protected from allergic reactions. “There are an enormous number of wasps around this year, but I still go into the garden or into the woods with the dogs without fear. Desensitization has also given me a lot of serenity towards the wasps – and maybe that’s why they leave me alone,” says Margrit Decoster-Jost.
