About Allergy Shots

For many people, allergies cause constant sneezing, itchy eyes, and days spent feeling miserable. If you’ve tried over-the-counter medications and nasal sprays without much luck, it’s time to look for a better solution. Allergy & Asthma Associates of Michigan offers allergy shots to help individuals manage their chronic allergies and asthma. Immunotherapy addresses the underlying causes of symptoms, rather than merely masking them. Learn how it can help you below.

Allergy shots are long-term treatment options that decrease symptoms for people with allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, conjunctivitis, stinging insect allergies, and more. They work very much like vaccines, containing a tiny amount of an allergen. The goal is to stimulate the immune system just enough to fight the allergen, but not enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction.

Over time, your board-certified allergy provider will increase the dose of allergens in each shot. This helps your body become accustomed to the allergen, making you less sensitive to it. Eventually, your immune system learns to tolerate the trigger, and your symptoms decrease significantly.

Before determining if allergy shots are right for you, it’s important to understand what kind of allergies you have. An allergy specialist can perform tests to identify your specific triggers. Common categories include:

• Drug – Some people have allergic reactions to medications, such as penicillin and aspirin. Symptoms can include hives, rashes, and breathing problems.
• Food – Food allergies occur when the body reacts to certain proteins in food. Common triggers include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, and shellfish. Reactions can range from a mild stomach ache to a life-threatening situation.
• Indoor – These triggers stick around all year. The most common culprits include dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander. Because these are inside your home, the symptoms can feel like a cold that never goes away.
• Insect – A sting from a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket may cause a severe reaction in some people. In addition to typical pain, they may experience swelling, trouble breathing, or dizziness.
• Seasonal – These are often referred to as hay fever. They happen at certain times of the year when trees, grasses, and weeds release tiny pollen particles into the air.

While allergy shots are highly effective for seasonal, indoor, and insect allergies, they’re not typically used to treat food or drug allergies.

Not everyone with allergies needs shots. Many people respond well to nasal sprays, pills, or eye drops. However, you should consider talking to a specialist if:

• Medications Don’t Work Well – You take allergy medicine but still have symptoms.
• You Want to Avoid Medication – You prefer not to take daily pills, nasal sprays, or eye drops due to side effects or personal preference.
• You Have Severe Reactions – You have anaphylactic reactions to insect stings.
• Your Symptoms Last a Long Time – You suffer for several months out of the year.

The immunotherapy process takes time and commitment, but the results are often worth it. It’s generally broken down into two phases:

• Build-Up Phase – This involves receiving injections with increasing amounts of allergens. Regarding allergy shot frequency, you generally visit the doctor once, twice, or three times a week during this phase, which usually lasts from three to six months.
• Maintenance Phase – Once the effective dose is reached, the time between treatments increases. You might go every week or even once a month. Most doctors recommend continuing the maintenance phase for three to five years to ensure the best long-term results.

Patients may ask how to inject allergy vaccine formulations. However, these injections are almost always given in a doctor’s office. They’re injected into the upper arm. You usually have to stay at the office for about 30 minutes afterward so that the staff can make sure you don’t have a bad reaction.

It’s natural to worry about side effects. Our patients often ask, “Can allergy shots make you tired?” While it’s not the most common side effect, some people report feeling fatigued after their shots. This is because your immune system is working hard to build up a tolerance. Other common side effects include redness or swelling at the injection site and mild sneezing.

The biggest benefit is relief. After completing treatment, many patients find that their symptoms are gone or have become much milder.

• Less Medication – You won’t need to buy as many antihistamines or nasal sprays.
• Money Savings – Over time, spending less on medicine and doctor visits for sick days can save you money.
• Asthma Prevention – Allergy shots for children may prevent the development of asthma later in life.
• Better Sleep and Focus – When you aren’t sneezing or dealing with itchy eyes, you sleep better and feel more alert during the day.

At Allergy & Asthma Associates of Michigan, our providers are experts in immunology. We address the cause of allergies rather than their symptoms. We’ll take the time to listen to your history and conduct thorough testing. As a result, we can create a plan that fits your specific needs and lifestyle.

If you’re ready to find long-term allergy relief, allergy shots from the Allergy & Asthma Associates of Michigan may be the best solution. Contact us today for allergy shot treatments.