Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, more commonly known as allergy shots, is a treatment plan that is usually used as a last resort. It is used when

• avoidance practices is deemed impossible.
• environmental controls don’t give enough symptom relief.
• the side effects of drugs interfere with the quality of life.
• it is decided that taking pharmaceutical drugs as a life style is not the best choice.
• the allergy medication on the market doesn’t give enough symptom relief.
• the allergic symptoms are severe and difficult to manage.
• nothing seems to work.

It is a treatment plan used when all else fails because there are many things to consider:

• It is a commitment of time.
• It is a commitment of money.
• It is not 100 percent guaranteed.
• A severe reaction is possible (although rare).

Immunotherapy works on the same principle as a vaccine. Like the flu shot, allergy shots help the person's immune system develop a resistance to the allergen. By giving the body a very small dose, the immune system is stimulated to develop immunity. The idea is to stimulate immunity without producing an allergic reaction.

The goal of allergy shots is to decrease the body’s sensitivity to the known allergen and to increase the body’s tolerance. The goal is also to provide relief from allergy symptoms even after the allergy shots have stopped. It is not meant to be a cure.

The treatment begins by receiving regular injections containing a very small dose of the purified extract of the allergen that is causing a problem. Common allergens cause pollen allergy, dust mite allergy, mold allergy and pet allergies . The dose is small enough to not cause an outright reaction but large enough for the immune system to start fighting it. There will be a small reaction at the injection site.

Image courtesy of James Gathany Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The shots can be given once or twice a week. As the treatment continues, the amount (or potency) of the allergen is slowly increased. This is called the build up stage. This phase of the treatment can last anywhere from 4 months to a year. Your physician will tailor a schedule that is right for you. The idea is for your body to slowly get accustomed to the known allergen.

As the incremental increase of dosage reaches the maximum amount, the maintenance stage is reached. In this phase, the frequency of injections is not needed as often. Now, the allergy shots only need to be given once or twice a month.

This process can take 3 to 5 years of regular injections for the treatment to be considered successful. It can take 12-18 months before allergy symptoms reduction may be noticed.

Immunotherapy

• can have some amazing results where the patient feels they are cured of their allergy.
• can have a minimum effect on others and produce no increase in the quality of life.
• can work well enough to reduce the symptoms down to an acceptable level.

Talk to your doctor to find out if immunotherapy is right for you. Immunotherapy is not effective for all types of allergies. And in most cases, it does not offer complete protection.

This treatment should only be done by a board-certified allergy specialist because there are risk involved. You are being given something that you are allergic to. There will be an allergic reaction at the injection site or you may experience more over-all allergic symptoms.

In rare cases, anaphylaxis may occur which can be a life threatening condition. For this reason, your care provider will not let you leave right away until they feel comfortable that an allergic reaction will not occur.

To learn more about immunotherapy, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology provides some useful tips. They also provide a Physician Referral Search Directory for an allergist in your area.

Go to the nasal allergies home page.

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