Allergies and immunotherapy
Do you suffer from allergies? If so, then you know how miserable they can make your life. You constantly sneeze, have a runny nose and itchy eyes. Your throat becomes hoarse and scratchy, and the skin on your face turns red and blotchy. It’s hard to enjoy anything when all of these symptoms are present! But don’t worry- there is a solution for this problem: immunotherapy. In this blog post we will discuss what immunotherapy is, why it works, how long it takes to work, what side effects people experience during treatment time, as well as other questions that allergy sufferers may be curious about!
What is Immunotherapy and why does it work?
The human body has a reaction to allergens in order to fight them. In the case of allergies, this process causes symptoms like sneezing and redness around your nose area. Immunotherapy works by gradually exposing you to allergens that produce these types of reactions until they no longer trigger an allergic response. This means there will be fewer allergy symptoms!
In addition, immunotherapy treatments reduce or eliminate any side effects caused by overreactions of antibodies such as: headaches, anxiety attacks, diarrhea, skin problems (dermatitis), asthma flareups and digestive discomfort during treatment time for those with food allergies. Individuals who stop their therapy once they start feeling better may see their symptoms return, so it is important to follow the treatment plan as directed.
How long does Immunotherapy take?
Immunotherapy can take months or years to start working but will last a lifetime! Once you have completed your immunotherapy treatments, any allergic reactions that occur are usually much less severe and typically go away on their own after a few hours (instead of days). You should continue with maintenance shots over the course of many years following completion for maximum effectiveness. This means that while in some cases people’s allergies might improve immediately after starting therapy, most often they get better gradually. It takes between $300-$500 every two weeks for an average person who has been diagnosed for about one year before symptom relief is seen.
What are the possible side effects of immunotherapy?
The most common side effect that people experience during treatment time is a runny nose, but this can be treated if it bothers you with over-the-counter medications or saline nasal sprays. Some other potential reactions to immunotherapy treatments include sore throat, itching at injection site, eye pain and irritation, fever/chills (less than one out of every five patients), hives and rash (less than one in ten). If any severe symptoms occur immediately after an injection, they should contact their physician as soon as possible! You may also feel anxious about injections when beginning therapy because there is always some uncertainty involved before seeing results and feeling better. However, butterflies will go away with time as you see the effects that immunotherapy has on your allergies.
What if I have a severe allergy?
Some people may be allergic to more than one allergen and require additional treatments in order to completely eliminate their symptoms. Other patients who are taking medications for other conditions might need an adjustment or interruption of those medicines prior to beginning therapy due to potential side effects such as low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, depression, seizures, or weight gain from corticosteroids given during treatment time (these can be monitored by doctors). In addition, there is also something called “desensitization” which involves getting injections every day over a few months so that your body becomes used to allergens and produces less antibodies when exposed to them. It is recommended that people with severe allergies speak to their doctor about any of these options in order for the best results!
There are many other factors that can contribute to allergy symptoms such as stress, flu, colds/respiratory infections and environmental irritants like cigarette smoke or smog which you should be aware of when trying new treatments. Be sure to ask your physician if there is a possibility that one of these could be affecting your condition before beginning treatment so they may recommend additional methods of relief. In addition, it is important not to make changes unless approved by a medical professional because this has potential consequences on both long-term effectiveness and overall health.
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