Curt Chaffin, M.D.Q: If I have allergies, will allergy shots be effective for me?
A: Allergy shots have been around for many decades and are sometimes called immunotherapy. They can be used for patients who have allergic disease to reduce the symptoms they have from the disease and prevent progression of new allergies from developing. Importantly, allergy shots can be used to stop allergic disease from progressing to asthma and can cut kids' risk of developing asthma by about 50 percent.
People who have allergies often note their symptoms affect their school or work attendance and performance. In conjunction with an overall allergy program including avoidance and appropriate medication use, allergy shots can often reduce symptoms drastically. Allergy shots can be appropriate for both children and adults.
Allergy shots also can be useful for patients who have reactions to stinging insects such as bees, wasps or fire ants. Often these reactions can progress to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. A course of allergy shots can reduce the risk of anaphylaxis greatly. Testing, examination and a thorough medical history can help your allergist determine if shots would be appropriate for you.
The one thing allergy shots cannot help with is food allergies. Research is ongoing in this field so hopefully there will be preventive treatment for food allergies soon.
- Curt Chaffin, M.D., The Allergy & Asthma Group of Galen; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society