Allergen Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots)
Goal:
The goal of allergen immunotherapy is to reduce symptoms caused by allergy.
Indications:
The treatment of allergic symptoms first involves identification/avoidance of known triggers, medications including anti-histamines, nasal steroids and nasal rinse. When allergy symptoms are not adequately controlled with these measures, allergen immunotherapy may be employed to reduce allergic symptoms.
Efficacy:
Over 85% of patients report improvement in allergic symptoms with allergen immunotherapy, however this improvement is gradual and may take 1 year before the full benefit is seen.
Procedure:
Treatment involves a series of injections under the skin with small amounts of substances to which you are allergic. These injections are given on a regular schedule. Allergy injections are started at a very low dose and slowly increased to target or maintenance dose. Your physician will discuss how frequently you should receive allergy injections, but most patients start with 1-2 injections per week and then progress to one injection every 1-4 weeks.
How does it work:
By injecting small amounts of allergen over time, your body develops tolerance so that you no longer experience allergic reactions when exposed to the allergen.
Duration of Treatment:
Patients are typically treated for 3-5 years and then reassessed to determine if further injections are needed. Overall, allergen immunotherapy often leads to long-standing relief of allergy symptoms even after the treatment is stopped.
Potential Side Effects of Treatment:
Because the injections are made from extracts of substances to which you are allergic, allergic reactions to the immunotherapy are possible. Therefore, the injections should be performed under the supervision of medical personnel so that potential reactions can be identified and treated quickly. The majority of patients tolerate allergen injections with no adverse side effects. If an adverse reaction does occur, it is usually a small skin reaction near the injection site. Large reactions involving swelling of the arm are uncommon. Serious reactions are rare and include wheezing, shortness of breath and anaphylaxis.
Most serious reactions occur within 20-30 minutes after injection which is why patients are asked to remain at the clinic for this long after they receive their allergy injection. Your health care team is working to reduce your risk of any adverse reaction. If you are receiving allergen immunotherapy, please immediately notify the nurse if you develop any symptoms following your injection. You should seek immediate medical care if you develop a generalized reaction including shortness of breath, wheezing or lightheadedness.
For more information, please refer to the additional information link that will direct you to the
American
Academy
of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology or
American
College
of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology websites. The above information is based on information provided in the patient resource sections of these websites. 
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