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If you are going through some allergies, then you must have heard the term – allergen immunotherapy suggested by the physician. As per the country’s most reputed and popular immunologist – Dr. Kanury Rao, allergen immunotherapy is an approach that contains a long series of treatments. The objective of it is to provide the patient with long-lasting relief from their ongoing or severe allergies. In general terms, it is also called allergy immunotherapy, allergy shots, and subcutaneous immunotherapy. This treatment is good for the allergies or related symptoms that are interfering with the regular life.
Uses of allergy shots
Before you directly head to the immunotherapy center for this, you should know the allergies that are treatable through it. Below, Kanury Rao has outlined the allergy causes that can be treated through allergy shots:
Mold spores
Dust mites
Pollen
Cat or dog dander
Feathers
Insect stings
Allergy shots are considered quite an effective approach for all these issues to get significant and instant relief from the symptoms. But yes, allergy shots do not end within a few weeks or a couple of months. Instead, it needs long-term commitment so that your condition can be improved.
Who can go for allergy shots?
Since this treatment includes multiple shots or injections, you have to show commitment and give adequate time to it – Dr. Kanury Rao. This is why it is not relevant for all. However, the following can obtain maximum benefits through it:
Allergic conjunctivitis
Eye allergies
Allergic rhinitis
Allergic asthma
Insects allergies
Who should not go for allergy shots?
Now, you know the right candidates for this treatment. But do you know that not everyone can go for it? Here are the people who should not try allergy shots as they can have adverse effects:
Kids below 5 years of age
Expectant mothers
Patients with heart diseases
Old age people (talk to your physician regarding this)
People with severe asthma
How does an allergy shot work?
After reading the above, you will know that allergy shots are used to treat certain allergies. It generally works by decreasing the symptoms and related issues. Talking about the process, each injection of allergy shots has a smaller amount of the type of allergen you are dealing with. The same is injected so that your body can develop a new antibody to fight that allergen.
In addition to this, allergy shots are the perfect method to make other cells and functions of the immune system better. When this happens, the response of the immune system against an allergen will improve. Once the treatment is completed, your body will have the antibodies to fight off the allergens and decrease symptoms.
In simple terms, allergy shots are all about increasing the natural responses and healing ability of the body so that it can fight on its own against any allergy. For instance, if you are dealing with asthma, allergy shots will help you reduce the symptoms.
How do you prepare for allergy shots?
Before starting with the treatment, a complete assessment will be done by the physician. They will also conduct certain tests to find out the exact cause and decide on the shots – Dr. Kanury Rao.
For instance, if a person is having allergies during the pollen season, then they will conduct tests to locate the type of pollen that is causing the issue. Some common culprits are grasses, ragweed, and so on. For tests, they will prick the skin to determine the pollen-causing allergies. An immunologist or allergist will do this.
Understand the process of allergy shots.
Once the physician locates the main causes of the allergies, they will start with the process. Generally, the entire procedure is divided into two different phases. The details are given below:
Buildup: In this phase, time commitment is needed as you will get injections after weeks, depending on the severity. According to Kanury Rao, this phase can last up to 3-6 months.
Maintenance: During this phase, the injections or shots will be given once or twice a month. However, the actual duration will be decided after the analysis of your condition.
Can allergy shots offer effective solutions?
Allergy shots are used to provide the patients with long-term relief after the completion of the treatment. In many cases, people do not need any medication after receiving allergy shots to manage the conditions and symptoms. However, the overall treatment can take 12 months or even more to notice clear and effective results.
In addition to this, you must know the situations when allergy shots may not be effective. Below, we have listed the ones suggested by Dr. Kanury Rao:
Lack of sufficient allergens in the injections or shots
Stopping the shots in between due to a reaction
Constant yet higher levels of exposure to allergens
Missed an allergen during the initial assessment
Closing remarks
Before you directly go for the allergen immunotherapy or allergy shots, it is advised to consult with your physician first. He or she will better tell you whether you should see an immunologist or not. As Kanury Rao mentioned, not everyone responds well to allergy shots. Hence, it is better to check with your general physician to rule out any other health condition.
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