Allergies occur when your immune system overreacts to typically harmless substances like pollen, pet dander, or certain foods. This mistaken identification leads to symptoms such as sneezing, itching, or difficulty breathing. Allergy shots, also known as allergen immunotherapy, offer a long-term treatment for managing these responses.
Understanding Immunotherapy’s Impact
Allergy shots do not weaken the immune system; instead, they modify its response to allergens. This treatment aims to build tolerance rather than suppressing its function. By gradually exposing the body to increasing amounts of specific allergens, immunotherapy helps the immune system become less reactive. This process desensitizes the body, changing its reaction from inflammation to tolerance. The goal is to develop tolerance, leading to reduced or even eliminated allergy symptoms.
The Immune System’s Adaptation Process
Allergen immunotherapy induces specific immunological changes. Exposure to increasing doses of allergens shifts the immune response from a hypersensitive state to one of tolerance. A key change involves a decrease in immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, responsible for allergic reactions, and an increase in “blocking” immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies.
Also, immunotherapy promotes regulatory T (Treg) cells. These specialized immune cells suppress allergic inflammation. Treg cells produce cytokines like interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), which reduce the immune system’s overreaction to allergens.
This shift in immune cell activity and antibody production helps the body to become accustomed to the allergen. The immune system essentially “learns” not to react to the substances that previously triggered allergic symptoms. This adaptation provides long-term relief from allergic conditions.
Safety Considerations and Management
While allergy shots are generally considered safe, potential side effects can occur. These reactions are typically categorized as either local or systemic. Local reactions are common and include redness, swelling, or irritation at the injection site, usually appearing within a few hours and subsiding shortly thereafter.
Systemic reactions are less common but can be more serious, potentially affecting the entire body. Symptoms may include hives, sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing, or chest tightness. In rare instances, a severe, life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis can occur, characterized by difficulty breathing, a sudden drop in blood pressure, or loss of consciousness.
Because of the potential for reactions, allergy shots are always administered in a medical setting by trained personnel. Patients are typically monitored for at least 20 to 30 minutes after receiving an injection to ensure any immediate reactions can be promptly addressed. Emergency equipment, such as epinephrine auto-injectors, is readily available to manage severe reactions.