Allergy Shots

When allergies make you miserable and over-the-counter medications don’t help, you may need allergy shots to get the relief you need. At Allergy and Asthma Institute, LLC, Lakshmi Reddy, MD, has helped many children and adults by providing allergy shots that are customized to provide the exact dose and allergens required for each individual. To learn if you’re a good candidate, call the office in Duluth, Georgia, or book an appointment online today.

What are allergy shots?

Allergy shots, also called immunotherapy, ease your allergy symptoms by making your immune system less sensitive to your allergens (the substances that trigger your allergies).

Your immune system causes allergies when it overacts and mistakenly labels a harmless substance as a danger to your health. That substance (now your allergen) activates an immune reaction every time it enters your body. And that reaction leads to your allergy symptoms.

Allergy shots contain small doses of your allergen(s). With regular shots, your immune system gradually gets used to the allergen and stops having such strong reactions. As a result, your symptoms significantly improve; in some cases, they may disappear.

What allergies do shots treat?

Allergy shots can treat many common allergens. Your provider may recommend them for allergies to:

• Pollen (from grasses, trees, and ragweed)
• Mold spores
• Dust mites
• Insect venom
• Cockroaches
• Animal dander

If allergies trigger your asthma, allergy shots can also help reduce the frequency of flare-ups.

How often do I need allergy shots?

Before starting immunotherapy, your provider does allergy testing to identify your specific allergens. 

While some allergy shots may come in a standard form, your provider often mixes your immunotherapy treatments in the office. This ensures you get the optimal dose and allows them to combine more than one allergen in your shots.

At the start of your treatment (the buildup phase), you need 1-2 shots every week. Your first shot contains a tiny dose; then, your provider slowly increases the amount of allergen in each subsequent shot. 

The doses stimulate your immune system, yet they’re not large enough to cause an allergic reaction.

The buildup phase lasts 3-6 months. After your provider determines you’re at the optimal dose, you start a maintenance phase. During maintenance, you get 1-2 shots each month, and every shot contains the same dose.

You stay in the maintenance phase until you get optimal relief from your allergies. Symptoms often improve over the course of the first year. 

You really experience the difference in the second year, and by the third year, many people no longer have significant allergic reactions. However, the maintenance phase could last up to five years. 

To learn if allergy shots can give you the relief you need, call Allergy and Asthma Institute, LLC, or book an appointment online today.