Allergy & Asthma Center of SW Washington

Allergy Shot Administration

While avoidance is the best defense, it is often impossible to avoid allergens that can trigger your allergies. To relieve the suffering of allergy symptoms, for most inhalant allergies (dust mites, cockroaches, cats, pollen, mold) and stinging insect (bees, wasps) allergies, you can get allergy shots. Allergy shots are also known as "immunotherapy". Recent research has clearly shown the effectiveness of allergen vaccine immunotherapy for both allergic rhinitis and asthma. It is also highly effective for stinging insect allergies. These new studies have confirmed what allergy specialists have observed for years in their patients: Allergy shots work in relieving allergy symptoms! In fact allergy shots are the ONLY way to suppress the underlying allergy response for long-term relief.

Build-Up Period

When you first start your allergy shots treatment, you will probably receive injections two or three times per week. The starting dosage is very small. The dosage is big enough to start building up immunity, but small enough to not cause a reaction. In order for your immune system to build up resistance to offending allergens, a significant dosage must be administered. Since dosages are so small at the start of treatment, frequency is important - explaining why you must have shots so often in the beginning.

Maintenance Period

Your level of resistance will continue to rise up to 12 to 18 months after starting shots. After reaching a maximum level of resistance, the maintenance period begins. Shots are generally administered on a weekly schedule for at least one additional year. After a while, your allergist may decide that every two, three, or four weeks is sufficient over the next several years.

Do Not Stop Your Allergy Shots Early

Several years may seem like a long time for treatment, but it is vital that you maintain your therapy. The biggest mistake people make is that they stop coming in for their shots. Maybe they feel better or their symptoms are not as bad, but if shots are stopped too early, resistance will fall away, and the time spent on the therapy to-date will be wasted.

Warning!

It is recommended that you stay in the doctor's office for at least 30 minutes after receiving your injection. It is very rare that a severe allergic reaction to an allergy shot occurs, but it can happen. Ninety-five percent of all severe reactions happen within 30 minutes of exposure to an allergen, so it is better to be safe than sorry.

Local swelling or redness may occur in the location of the shot. Taking an antihistamine before the shot may prevent this reaction.