When to start allergy shots
What are allergy shots and how do they work?
hello i'm dr. scott and i'm dr. varus we
care for algae announcement patients at
Via Christi Clinic we would like to take
a moment to discuss a topic with which
many people in this area are quite
familiar current statistics estimate
that up to 60 million people in America
are affected by allergic rhinitis a
condition more commonly known as hay
fever while many people find that
over-the-counter medications help
decrease symptoms prescription
medications such as nasal sprays are
often needed for those individuals who
continue to have symptoms despite using
these medications or even just want to
decrease their dependence on medication
algin in your therapy or algae shot
should be considered allergy shots are
the closest thing to a cure for
allergies that exists in contrast and
medications the shots work by altering
your immunity rather than just simply
treating the symptoms the treatment
involves injection of solutions that
contain a small amount of the things
that you're allergic to over time this
causes a decrease in the amount of
allergic antibody in your system this is
the antibody responsible for your
symptoms algin EEMA therapy is a
relatively safe therapy that was proved
me very helpful for many children and
adults suffering with allergies nearly
90% of patients report significant
improvements in their symptoms after
algae shots in our office before
treatment of allergic rhinitis begins
the specific allergic triggers are
determined this is usually done with a
relatively painless skin prick test and
skin testing can be performed on both
children and adults during the procedure
allergy samples are pricked or scratched
onto the skin surface using a plastic
testing device the testing does not
require injections or the use of needles
the results are available within 20
minutes if skin testing is not possible
or the tests are unclear a blood test
may be obtained the results are usually
available within one to two weeks
once the allergic triggers are
identified various treatment methods
including environmental changes
medications and possibly algae shots are
discussed
decision to begin allergy shots should
start with a sound understanding of the
course of therapy for each patient the
allergist carefully formulates a
custom-made allergy vaccine the allergy
solutions are then prepared in our
office by specially trained allergy
nurses the treatment starts with a
build-up phase in which the shots are
given once a week until a maintenance
dose is reach improvement and symptoms
may take six months or more but some
people have reported a noticeable change
even sooner once the build phase is
complete the injections are given once
every two or three weeks depending on
symptoms the therapy generally ends
after four to five years however the
best indicator of when to end is two
years after symptoms have resolved there
are a few other things you should know
about when considering allergy shots
first the chef's must be given in a
medical office under the supervision of
a doctor the injections should never be
given at home even if a family member is
a medical professional you should be
monitored in the office for 30 minutes
after the shot since most reactions
occur during this period this ensures
that any reaction you may have can be
addressed promptly the most common
reaction is local swelling redness or
itching at the injection site this is
easily managed with the application of
ice or perhaps an antihistamine
occasionally more systemic reactions may
occur which may range from mild itching
of the eyes nose or throat to more
serious symptoms like wheezing shortness
of breath hives or fainting and hiss
means breathing treatments and a drillin
may be required although allergy shots
are generally safe and effective they
are not for everyone there are
situations in which the risk of allergen
immunotherapy awaits the benefits for
example children or adults with poorly
controlled asthma should not be treated
with allergen immunotherapy because they
are at higher risk of having severe
reactions such as the one mentioned
before
with rare exception people taking a
certain class of blood pressure
medication called beta blockers should
not receive algae shots this type of
medication can make it difficult to
treat a severe reaction should one occur
so if you have high blood pressure or
are taking a beta blocker your primary
physician should change to a different
type of medicine before starting algae
shots
another potential concern is pregnancy
women who are receiving allergen
immunotherapy and become pregnant
usually can continue therapy however new
patients who are pregnant should not be
started on shots because of the risk of
reactions during the build-up phase as
you can see there are several things to
be considered before starting algin amia
therapy the allergist thoroughly
considers the benefits and risk of this
treatment for each individual patient
but the final decision is a
collaborative one between you your
family the allergist and your primary
care doctor
although algin in the therapy involves a
long-term commitment most people find
that the treatment offers significant
relief from algae symptoms and helps
them live a more enjoyable life we hope
that you found this information useful
should you have further questions about
your allergies or even those of a family
member we would be more than happy to
speak to you
you
