| The best way to control your allergies is to stay | | | | approximately once per month. The monthly |
| away from what you are allergic to. Sometimes, | | | | maintenance allergy shot in some cases will continue |
| however, that is almost impossible. At times, your | | | | for up to several years. Sometimes this procedure |
| best option may be to try and develop immunity to | | | | will give you a permanent immunity to the allergen |
| the allergen. It may sound backwards but being | | | | but more often you will need to go through the |
| injected with small amounts of what causes your | | | | procedure again at some time in the future. |
| allergies can sometimes help control and reduce your | | | | The idea is to slowly build up your resistance to the |
| allergic reactions. | | | | allergies without giving you so much at a time that |
| The technical term for this procedure is allergen | | | | you get severe reactions. It is very similar to a |
| immunotherapy but almost everybody just calls it | | | | vaccination. Over a period of time your body gets |
| allergy shots. Sometimes it is also called specific | | | | used to fighting off the invading substance and your |
| immunotherapy because the injections are designed | | | | negative reactions to the allergy are reduced or |
| to target only your specific allergies. The first step, | | | | eliminated. You build up immunity to the allergy |
| of course, is to clearly understand exactly what it is | | | | substance. The bodies normal reaction to allergens is |
| you are allergic to so that the allergy shots can be | | | | to generate a substance called IgE which is short for |
| targeted for you. Your doctor will use various skin | | | | immunoglobulin E. IgE builds up a defensive barrier to |
| and blood tests to identify the specific allergies. Once | | | | the allergen by causing typical allergy responses; |
| the allergens are identified, the series of allergy shots | | | | runny nose, sore and watery eyes, sneezing, |
| can be setup. The procedure does not involve just | | | | inflammation, congestion and skin redness. The goal |
| one shot but rather a series of many shots | | | | of allergy shots is to get the body to make a |
| administered over an extended period of time. You | | | | different molecule called immunoglobulin G (IgG). |
| will get 1 or 2 shots per week of a very low dose to | | | | Unlike IgE, IgG will go on the offensive against the |
| start with. Usually you are given the shot in your | | | | allergen. It binds with and effectively destroys the |
| upper arm and the doctor will ask that you stay in | | | | allergen. This reduces the amount of the allergen that |
| the clinic for 20 to 30 minutes to make sure you | | | | the IgE reacts to which in turn will reduce your |
| don't react severely to the dose. This procedure of | | | | allergy symptoms. |
| one shot per week continues for up to 6 or 7 | | | | Allergy shots can be extremely effective against |
| months with ever-increasing doses of the allergen. | | | | insect stings and bites and also against allergens that |
| Once you reach a dose level that allows you to | | | | you would inhale. For example, up to 75 percent of |
| effectively fight off normal environmental levels of | | | | hay fever sufferers get reduced or eliminated allergy |
| the allergen then the doctor will switch you to a | | | | symptoms by going through allergen immunotherapy. |
| maintenance allergy shot that will be given | | | | |