Allergen immunotherapy, or also known as allergy shot is an effective treatment for allergy related problems, but sometimes allergy shot side effects can cause more problem than cure.
People who constantly suffer from allergies caused by environmental allergens animal dander, pollens, mold spores, stinging insects and dust mites can be completely treated by allergy shot treatments. However, you should never forget that this treatment has no effect for allergies caused by food.
Shot treatments are usually given to an allergy patient for a period of time, usually for weeks, or even months. This treatment has been around for decades and has proven its efficacy through time. However allergy shot side effects that won’t be discovered can be dangerous and life threatening.
Before we go deeper to side effects of this treatment for allergies, let us first understand how this thing works and what it does to our body to reduce the chances of attacks and strengthens our defense against certain allergens.
Allergy Shots Effectiveness
Shot treatment is given to allergy patients for a long period of time, usually from 6 months to a year. Shots are given once up to twice a week. You may not feel the effectiveness of the treatment immediately, as it works slowly and gradually in our body.
Treatment shots for allergies are actually substances that a person is allergic to. Remember how our immune system works? The allergen level in these shots is in a lower number, and the moment it goes inside our body, our immune system gets alerted. Our body will recognize the allergen and fight them. Thus, in future where we get exposed with the allergen again, our body will automatically set its defensive parameters against the allergen, saving us from harsh allergy attacks.
But in most cases, allergy shots make our body tolerant from those allergens. Thus, we get reduced allergic symptoms even when exposed to molds, animal dander, pollen, dust mites, etc. After about a year of taking the shots, the patient can now take maintenance shot for the next three years. Patients who don’t find much difference in their condition should continue taking maintenance shots for a longer time.
Allergy Shots Side Effects
A treatment shot like this is sadly, not for every body. Some people may react to the shots differently, causing them to experience annoying side effect symptoms like itchiness of skin, watery eyes, coughing, nasal congestion, hives and sneezing.
Reactions from allergy shots may get worse than these symptoms, as it can also lead to bigger health problems such as throat swelling, chest congestion and even wheezing. But the most life-threatening allergy shot side effect is the anaphylaxis, a condition where a person suffer dizziness caused by low blood pressure. In this condition, the patient will suffer irregular heartbeat, and he/she may get unconscious, which can be fatal.
Thus, it is very important to consult allergy specialist to get the right treatment for your allergy problems.
