What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy, or "allergy shots", is a form of treatment aimed at decreasing your sensitivity to substances in the environment called allergens. These allergens are identified by allergy testing. They can trigger your allergy symptoms when you are exposed to them. Immunotherapy works as a vaccination against allergens and helps prevent allergy symptoms. Immunotherapy has been shown to prevent the development of new allergies. In children it can prevent the progression of allergic diseases from allergic rhinitis (hay fever) to asthma. Immunotherapy can lead to long-lasting relief of allergy symptoms even after treatment is stopped.
Immunotherapy has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, and insect sting allergy. If your allergy symptoms arenot well controlled with avoidance measures and medications, your allergist may use this customized series of injections to reduce and control your symptoms.
How do allergy shots work?
By giving small doses of highly refined substances to which you are allergic, immunotherapy stimulates your immune system to become tolerant to these allergens. This tolerance protects you on further exposure to the same substance and can help decrease or even eliminate your allergy symptoms. Our initial goal is to reduce your allergy symptoms. As you build up on the strength of your shots, we hope to reduce the medications needed to control your symptoms.
taken from Allergy Partners,PA "Environmental Control Handbook"