Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a treatment done to improve the body’s natural defenses against allergies. At our office, we offer two types of immunotherapy which can help you to live a happier and healthier life.

 Who Can Benefit from Immunotherapy?

Both children and adults can benefit from immunotherapy, though is not usually recommended for children under the age of five. You and your ENT doctor should base your decision regarding immunotherapy on the length of the allergy season and the severity of your symptoms, time available for treatment, and cost.

Types of Immunotherapy

There are two main types of immunotherapy offered to help you feel your best. These include:

Subcutaneous Immunotherapy– is one of the most common allergy treatment available. It can treat an array of allergens, including grass, weeds, trees, dust, mold, dander, and insect stings. During this treatment, a small amount of the allergen is injected into the skin over a series of treatments to slowly introduce the body to the allergen. This process allows the body to become immune to the allergy, and symptoms will no longer occur.

With this treatment, there are two main phases:

Build-up phase: This involves receiving injections with increasing amounts of the allergens about 1-2 times per week. The length of this phase usually ranges from 3-6 months.

Maintenance Phase: This begins after the effective dose is reached. The maintenance dose will depend on your level of allergen sensitivity and your response to the build-up phase.

Sublingual Immunotherapy– is an alternative to treating allergies without injections. This treatment is currently FDA-approved in tablet form for ragweed and grass pollen. Allergy drops are used off-label and are still being established by the FDA. This technique is often used for patients or children who do not do well with needles.

Contact Us Today

If you are looking to help ease your allergy symptoms, immunotherapy may be able to help. Contact our office today to schedule your consultation.