Allergy Shots

How do allergy shots work?

Allergies develop due to a hypersensitive immune system. Allergy shots effectively relieve your symptoms by desensitizing the immune system.

Your provider at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, LTD, gives you a series of allergy shots, beginning with a small dose of your allergen and slowly increasing the amount with each injection.

With frequent exposure to ever-larger doses, your immune system develops a tolerance to the substance. Over time, your symptoms gradually diminish, sometimes disappearing altogether.

Which allergies improve with allergy shots?

The team at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, LTD, use allergy shots to treat environmental allergies and insect allergies. That means you can consider allergy shots for allergens such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and mold, as well as the range of stinging insects.

How long will I need to get allergy shots?

Before recommending allergy shots, your provider at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, LTD, conducts allergy testing. You need testing to identify your allergens, so your injections contain the right substance.

Allergy shots follow a regular schedule that goes through two phases:

Buildup phase

Your provider gives you one or two shots every week, increasing your dose each time. The buildup phase lasts about 3-6 months, but the timing varies for each patient.

Maintenance

During this phase, you don’t need as many shots. You go in for an allergy shot once or twice a month and get the same dose each time. Most patients stay on a maintenance dose for 3-5 years. Your allergy symptoms continue to improve until you achieve optimal allergy relief.

How do allergy shots differ from rush immunotherapy?

If you have a severe pollen, mold, or pet dander allergy, you may be a candidate for rush immunotherapy or rush allergy shots. This therapy gives you faster relief by condensing the buildup phase into a shorter time.

During rush therapy, you get a series of shots with increasing doses over the course of one day. Since this concentrated schedule increases your risk of having an allergic reaction, you stay in the office under close observation.

With rush immunotherapy, most patients can reach the maintenance phase in one day. However, the schedule varies for each person, and some may need to repeat the series of shots on several days. 

To learn if you’re a candidate for allergy shots, call Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, LTD, or schedule an appointment online today.

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