Could Allergy Shots Help Your Allergies?

Imagine mowing the grass with a lot fewer symptoms.

Or being able to play with cats and dogs and not cough, wheeze and sneeze.

If you suffer from allergies and medications haven’t worked, or you don’t want to continue taking them forever, you may want to consider allergy shots—also known as immunotherapy.  

An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system has a reaction to a substance. This substance is called an allergen. Around this time of year, the allergen that bothers most people is pollen, or hay fever. Allergens also include dust mites, molds, pets and stinging insects.

Allergy shots help the body build an immunity to a specific allergen.

How do the shots work?

Allergy shots work like a vaccine. Each shot contains a very small amount of the substance you are allergic to. Your body responds to the injected amounts, given in gradually increasing doses, by developing an immunity or tolerance to the allergen. The immunity can prevent or block the allergen from triggering symptoms when you are exposed to it.

Your doctor will first do an allergy test to determine the exact allergen. Then you will start getting shots once or twice a week during the “buildup phase.” Each shot will have a stronger dose of the allergen in it. This helps your body gradually build up an immunity.

After about 40 shots you can go to the “maintenance phase,” where you can get shots less frequently. After three to five years you may be able to stop getting the shots altogether, and have no or little reaction to the allergen.

After you receive each shot, you will need to stay in the doctor’s office for 20-30 minutes to make sure you don’t develop side effects such as itchy eyes, shortness of breath, runny nose or tight throat. Redness, swelling or irritation at the injection site is normal; these symptoms usually go away within a few hours after receiving the shot.

Allergy shots are not for everyone. If you have severe asthma, are taking beta blockers for a heart problem, or are or may become pregnant, you should not get allergy shots. Allergy shots should not be given to children younger than 5.

Don’t suffer! Allergy shots and a variety of other treatments for asthma and allergies are available for adults and children. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Singla, call 410-391-3404.