- Some allergens are impossible to avoid. You cannot live a normal life and completely avoid pollen, dust mites, mold spores, and certain other common causes of allergic reactions.
- Many allergy sufferers use medications such as antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays to suppress their symptoms, and these drugs are very effective in most cases.
- For people with very severe symptoms and those who cannot take allergy medications, immunotherapy is an alternative.
- Immunotherapy is the name for a treatment used by allergy specialists (allergists) to reduce sensitivity to allergens. This therapy is especially helpful for people with allergic rhinitis (sometimes called hay fever).
- Immunotherapy involves a series of injections (injections) that are given regularly over several years. In the past, this was called a serum, but this is an incorrect name. Most allergists now call this mixture an allergy extract.
- The first shots contain very small amounts of the antigen or antigens you are allergic to.
- With gradually increasing doses, your body will adapt to the antigen and become less sensitive to it. This process is called desensitization.
- Immunotherapy is the only treatment available that can alter the natural course of the allergic condition. This means that a 3 to 5 year injection schedule can lead to long-term benefits that go far beyond completing the regimen.
- Immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone and is only partially effective in some people, but it gives allergy sufferers the chance to eventually stop their medication or reduce the number they need to take.
How do allergy shots work?
Immunotherapy does not treat the symptoms; it treats the immune system, the source of all allergic reactions. While the exact details of how allergy injections work are unknown, we do know how they affect the immune system in general.
An allergic reaction occurs when the body is exposed to an external substance (the antigen) that the immune system interprets as a foreign invader. In allergic persons, the immune system then makes an unusual (allergic) reaction that is harmful to the body.
- The white blood cells produce an antibody to the antigen called immunoglobulin E or IgE. This is called sensitization.
- When the antibody comes in contact with the antigen, it promotes the release of certain chemicals called mediators into affected tissues. Histamine is an example of a mediator.
- It is the effects of mediators on organs and cells that cause the symptoms of allergic reactions.
- This over-reaction to a harmless substance is often referred to as a hypersensitivity reaction.
Allergy shots desensitize you by lowering this immune response to the antigen. As a result of immunotherapy, the white blood cells no longer respond as strongly to the antigen and less production of the immunoglobulin E antibody against this antigen takes place. So when you are exposed to this antigen, less severe allergic reactions occur in affected areas such as the eyes, nasal mucosal surfaces, and the bronchial airways.
Are allergy shots right for you?
To find out if allergy shots can work for you, talk to an allergist certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
- Shots may be right for you if you have very serious symptoms that interfere with your normal activities, even if you take the right medication. For more information about medications, see What is allergy and hay fever medications.
- They are a good option for people who have severe side effects from allergy medications or who cannot take allergy medications at all.
- Allergies are suitable for both children over 2 years old and adults.
- Allergy shots are generally not given to people with heart problems or severe asthma, people who take beta blockers for heart problems, high blood pressure or glaucoma, or people who take medicines called monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors.
Allergy shots don’t work for all allergens or for all allergic conditions. While they reduce the symptoms of allergies, such as seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever); indoor allergies such as dust and dust mites, mold and mildew and animal dander; and stinging poisons, they are currently ineffective for food or medication allergies. In general, they are only given for allergens that are a nuisance all year round or for significant parts of each year.
Before prescribing shots, your allergist will perform a full evaluation.
- He or she will go through your medical history and do a brief medical exam.
- A full series of allergy tests will be performed to confirm your specific allergen (s). Depending on the results, the allergist may go ahead and recommend that you try allergy shots. The specific shots you receive are based on the allergens you are allergic to.
- Another goal of this test is to make sure that you don’t get a bad response to the very small amounts of allergens used in the tests. If you do, you may not be able to take the photos because you are at a higher risk of developing an unlikely but potentially very serious and even life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.
- Some people refuse to take allergy shots because they fear needles. Because the allergen extracts are injected just under the skin, the needles used for immunotherapy are very small, much smaller, and finer than the larger needles used for many immunizations and medications. The discomfort of these very small needles is minimal. Even most children can tolerate the shots very well. Even shot haters can change their minds when their symptoms start to subside.
A final factor when considering allergy shots is your patience. If they are to work properly, the images should be sequenced over time.
- The first series lasts at least 6 months and maintenance therapy must be continued for 3-5 years. Trying to speed up the schedule can be dangerous.
- Most people with good results begin to improve their symptoms about six to 12 months after starting treatment.
- You still need to make booster (maintenance) pictures for some time after taking the first series of pictures.
- Although most people can stop the photos after 3-5 years without experiencing annoying symptoms, others should continue to shoot for longer periods.
- You should make a commitment to stick with therapy at first or you will not see positive results.
