Allergen Immunotherapy

Allergen immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, is a treatment that’s been around for over 100 years. It can significantly decrease symptoms for people with asthma, seasonal allergies (from tree, grass, or weed pollens), indoor allergies (from dust mites, cockroaches, mold, or animal dander), and allergy to insect stings (bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, or fire ants).

Allergy shots contain a small amount of the actual allergens that trigger allergic reactions and are injected just beneath the skin in the back of the arm.  Over time, the dose of allergens in each shot is gradually increased. This results in desensitization and tolerance to the allergens, causing allergy symptoms to decrease significantly or stop completely.

To be effective, allergy shots are given on a schedule that involves two phases.  The buildup phase generally takes four to six months. Typically, shots are given once or twice a week. During the buildup phase, the allergen dose is gradually increased with each shot.  The maintenance phase continues for three to five years or longer. Maintenance shots are given about once every two to four weeks.

In some cases, the buildup phase is done more quickly (rush immunotherapy), which requires several injections of increasing doses during each visit.  This can decrease the amount of time needed to reach the maintenance phase and get relief from allergy symptoms.

Allergy symptoms won’t stop overnight. They usually improve somewhat during the first six to twelve months of treatment, but the most noticeable improvement happens during the second year. By the second year, most people are desensitized and no longer have significant symptoms.  After three to five years of successful treatment, many people can stop allergy shots without reoccurrence of symptoms for years or decades thereafter.  Other people need ongoing shots once every four to six weeks to keep symptoms under control.

Allergy shots may be a good treatment choice if:

• Medications don’t control your symptoms well.
• Allergy medications interact with other medications you need to take or cause bothersome side effects.
• You want to control your symptoms without use of allergy medication.
• You’re allergic to insect stings.

How Effective Are Allergy Shots?
Allergy shots decrease symptoms in most people by 85% to 90%.  Many people can decrease or stop medications once they reach their maintenance dose.  Allergy shots can also prevent the development of new allergies and, in children, prevent the development of asthma.  Allergy shots for insect stings reduce the risk of allergic reactions from 50-60% to less than 3%.

Sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy is another way to treat pollen and animal allergies without injections. The only FDA-approved sublingual therapy is tablets. Allergy drops are not FDA-approved and are used off-label in the United States.  Allergy tablets or drops are placed under the tongue daily at home and can help to decrease symptoms.

How Effective is Sublingual Immunotherapy?

The effectiveness of sublingual immunotherapy depends on the dose and quality of the allergens used and the duration of therapy.  Using high doses, most patients can expect about a 50% decrease in symptoms.

There’s no need to suffer.  We have great treatments for allergies, asthma, and stinging insect reactions.  If you think allergen immunotherapy might be for you, learn more at www.allergyid.com.