Immunotherapy Specialist

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a treatment for allergies that desensitizes your immune system. It works by slowly getting your body used to the substance (allergen) that’s causing your symptoms.

Receiving immunotherapy involves having regular injections (allergy shots) or sublingual immunotherapy (drops under your tongue). These shots and drops contain a small dose of the allergen that affects you.

Taking these tiny doses at frequent intervals allows your immune system to recognize the allergen as harmless and stop overreacting when you encounter it.

When would I benefit from immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is an effective way of combatting allergies such as insect venom and substances you breathe in. It’s not as effective to substances such as food and medication. 

The types of allergies you can currently benefit from immunotherapy include:

• Pollen
• Dust
• Mold spores
• Animal dander

These allergies are common and typically cause problems like repeated sneezing, streaming eyes that get red and swollen, and a runny nose. You might also experience headaches, blocked nasal passages, a cough, or a sore throat.

Patients with allergies like these often benefit from using medications like antihistamines, which reduce their symptoms. Steroids can also be helpful for severe allergies. For some people, these treatments aren’t as successful or you may want to minimize your allergy symptoms even further. In these cases, immunotherapy is an excellent solution.

What happens when I get immunotherapy?

The first step when you undergo immunotherapy is to undergo allergy testing. Irving Coppell Primary Care Doctors offers on-site allergy testing to determine what substances you’re allergic to. These tests typically involve putting a drop of a potential allergen onto a slight prick or scratch in your skin. A reaction then confirms if you have an allergy.

After learning what your allergens are, your provider can schedule an immunotherapy treatment plan. If you’re having allergy shots, you need to visit Irving Coppell Primary Care Doctors regularly for your injections. However, you can take sublingual immunotherapy drops at home.

It may take months and often years for your immune system to become accustomed to the allergen and stop reacting to it. However, immunotherapy may offer the best hope of minimizing the day-to-day effects of allergies.

To discover if immunotherapy could help your allergy symptoms, call the Irving Coppell Primary Care Doctors office in Irving, Texas, today to schedule an appointment. You can also use the online scheduling page to book.