Do Allergy Shots Work?
How many? How often? December 11, 2002, updated June 12, 2003 Dear Allergy Nurse Dear Allergy Nurse How does the allergy shot work to prevent allergies to dust mites? How many shots do you have to take for dust mite allergies? How often? — W.M., Oklahoma The shots work the same whether you are allergic to dust mites or to other allergens such as pollens, mold, or animals. As controlled amounts of the items you are allergic to are injected into the tissues just under your skin, your body begins building blocking antibodies toward that substance. The prefix “anti” means “against.” Think of blocking antibodies as an army of specialized warriors fighting against the invading allergen. If 10,000 allergic soldiers invade we may be overcome with sniffles and sneezes. Our immune systems just aren’t equipped to fight such a battle.
Allergy shots help your body fight the allergen. When you get shots of the allergen, your body makes antibodies to the allergen. The next time you have contact with the allergen, these antibodies help block its effect. Because the antibodies block the way your body reacts to the allergen, your allergy symptoms become less severe. After many allergy shots, you might start to get relief from your allergy symptoms. This relief will last for a long time.
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The best way to control your allergies is to stay away from what you are allergic to. Sometimes, however, that is almost impossible. At times, your best option may be to try and develop immunity to the allergen. It may sound backwards but being injected with small amounts of what causes your allergies can sometimes help control and reduce your allergic reactions. The technical term for this procedure is allergen immunotherapy but almost everybody just calls it allergy shots. Sometimes it is also called specific immunotherapy because the injections are designed to target only your specific allergies. The first step, of course, is to clearly understand exactly what it is you are allergic to so that the allergy shots can be targeted for you. Your doctor will use various skin and blood tests to identify the specific allergies. Once the allergens are identified, the series of allergy shots can be setup.
Allergy shots are a form of treatment called immunotherapy. Each shot contains a tiny amount of the substances that trigger allergic reactions (allergens). Allergy shots contain just enough allergens to stimulate your immune system — but not enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction. Over time, your doctor will increase the dose of allergy-causing substances in each shot. This helps get your body accustomed (desensitized) to the allergens. Your immune system will build up a tolerance to the allergens, and allergy symptoms will diminish over time. To be effective, allergy shots are given on a schedule that involves two phases: The buildup phase generally lasts three to seven months. Typically you’ll get shots one to three times a week. During the buildup phase, the allergen dose is gradually increased with each shot. This helps get your immune system more and more sensitized to the allergens that affect you. The maintenance phase generally lasts three to five years or longer.
