If you suffer from allergy symptoms, you may wonder if allergy immunotherapy (allergy shots or allergy tablets) is the best treatment for you. The concept behind allergy immunotherapy, whether it is received in the form of shots or tablets, is that the immune system can be desensitized to specific allergens that trigger allergy symptoms. Although it requires time and patience, the payback can be long-term relief.
Allergy Injections
Allergy injections work much like a vaccine. Your body responds to injected amounts of a particular allergen given in increasing doses, eventually developing a resistance and tolerance to it. Allergy shots can lead to decreased, minimal, or no allergy symptoms.
Sublingual Immunotherapy
Sublingual immunotherapy may be an option to treat for some environmental allergies without injections. Small doses of an allergen are given in a tablet form and placed under the tongue to boost tolerance to the substance and help reduce symptoms.