Allergy Testing - Allergy Shots

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 We offer personalized allergy testing and immunotherapy via sublingual or allergy shots. 

• We can offer same-day allergy skin testing 
• At home treatment option - sublingual drops

Symptomatic treatment
Symptomatic treatments are typically used to relieve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis but only work while the medicine is being taken. They have no long-term effect on the allergy itself.   This is because, while they reduce the symptoms of allergy, unlike immunotherapy, they do not induce allergen tolerance. 

Most symptomatic treatments are available over-the-counter (OTC), for example, in supermarkets or pharmacies, and include pharmaceutical medicines such as antihistamines, nasal steroids and decongestants.

Immunotherapy treatment
Immunotherapy treatment has a long-term effect which offers a sustained improvement in the patient’s condition, sometimes for several years following treatment. 

The main difference between symptomatic and immunotherapy treatment is that immunotherapy induces tolerance and so alters the natural course of the disease. There are immunotherapy treatments available for each of the most common respiratory allergens.

Allergy Shots
Allergy shots (also called subcutaneous immunotherapy, or SCIT)  is one of the best treatments available for your allergies and asthma. It is one of the few disease-modifying therapies available in medicine and targets the underlying cause of various allergic conditions. SCIT offers the potential of improving asthma control, providing relief from allergy and sinus symptoms, and reducing the need for medicines in the future. In children, allergy shots are particularly helpful as they can reduce the risk of becoming more allergic or developing asthma later in life. 

What are allergy shots 

Allergy shots contain all-natural proteins from allergens found in the environment. Patients are first tested to determine what they are allergic to. Customized allergen extract vials are then produced for each patient based on these results which are injected underneath the skin.

How do allergy shots work? What's involved in allergy shots?

By giving increasing doses of allergen proteins in the body, our immune system starts to recognize and become tolerant to these substances. Once tolerance is achieved with a SCIT regimen, we don’t experience allergic inflammatory reactions when exposed to allergens in the environment. Ultimately, this leads to improved symptoms and less reliance on medications. Studies have shown a sustained effect of symptom relief for many years after the completion of a SCIT regimen.

What's involved in allergy shots? 

Regimens for allergy shots include two phases, the build-up phase and the maintenance phase. Allergy injection build-up is the process of gradual dose increases working up to the target or therapeutic dose. This allows the body time to get used to receiving something it is allergic to. Once the target dose has been achieved, this dose is maintained for a period of 3-5 years in most patients. It is during this maintenance phase that the immune system becomes tolerant and shifts from being allergic to becoming non-allergic. Although allergy shots are not a cure for allergies, it acts on the immune system to prevent the allergic response from even starting, as opposed to just treating symptoms once they occur. Each patient is different and both build-up and maintenance can be customized to meet individual needs.

What are the risks of allergy shots?  

Most reactions to shots are localized and appear as redness or swelling at the injection site. This typically occurs within a couple of hours of the injection and clears up soon afterwards. Systemic reactions are much less common and can range in severity. Most reactions are mild and include symptoms such as itching, sneezing, congestion, or hives. Rarely, a more serious systemic reaction (or anaphylaxis) can occur that may lead to coughing, wheezing, swelling of the throat, or dizziness. Most systemic reactions occur within the first 30 minutes of the injection, which is why it is important that injections are only administered in a medical facility where patients can be observed during this time.