Allergies Health Guide

Diagnostic Procedures and Treatments for Allergy and Asthma

Immunotherapy

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a series of "allergy shots," which contain the allergen(s) that cause allergic reactions. The injections are given periodically over a long period of time, with steadily increasing concentrations of the allergen.

Immunotherapy encourages the body's immune system to build a protective antibody called IgG that will reduce the symptoms of allergy and lessen the need for medications.

When is immunotherapy used?

Specific treatment with immunotherapy will be determined by your physician(s) based on:

your overall health and medical history
extent of the allergic disease
your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the allergic disease
your opinion or preference

Immunotherapy may be used when symptoms:

are moderate to severe
occur more than two to three months each year
have not responded well to medications
are due to an allergen that is not easy to avoid

This page was last updated on: February 6, 2008.

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