Immunotherapy for Seasonal Allergies: Injections vs. Sublingual Drops (pegged to Asthma and Allergy

If you dread spring and fall due to sneezing, congestion, and fatigue, you’re not alone. Millions of people experience seasonal allergies that can significantly affect their daily lives. 

While allergy medication can ease symptoms, they don’t always provide enough relief. Immunotherapy is an effective treatment that goes beyond temporary symptom management, addressing the underlying cause of your allergies.

In honor of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the pulmonary experts at Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Dr. Nehal Mehta and Dr. Prashant Patel, explain how immunotherapy compares the two main treatment options: allergy injections and sublingual drops. 

Understanding allergies and immunotherapy

To understand immunotherapy, it helps to know what happens during an allergic reaction.

Your immune system protects you from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. However, if you have allergies, your immune system mistakenly identifies substances, such as tree pollen or grass, as threats. This triggers the release of chemicals like histamine that cause symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, and congestion.

Once your immune system develops this response, it repeats the same reaction each time you come in contact with the allergen. That’s why seasonal allergies come back every year and may even worsen over time. 

Immunotherapy works by gradually exposing your immune system to small, controlled amounts of your allergen. Over time, your immune system becomes desensitized, reducing its overreaction. 

Instead of masking symptoms like antihistamines, immunotherapy retrains your immune system to offer long-term relief.

Benefits of immunotherapy for seasonal allergies

Immunotherapy provides many benefits for seasonal allergy sufferers. These may include:

• Reduced severity of symptoms
• Improved quality of life
• Decreased reliance on allergy medication

For some, immunotherapy may also prevent the development of new allergies and lower your risk of allergy-induced asthma.

Allergy shots vs. sublingual immunotherapy

Allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) are the two primary forms of immunotherapy. The best one for you depends on your lifestyle, preferences, and health history.

Allergy shots

Allergy shots are the most common form of immunotherapy. They involve receiving injections of small amounts of your allergen over time. 

Treatment usually includes a build-up phase where you receive one to two injections a week, followed by a maintenance phase of monthly injections. Total treatment time takes three to five years.

Injections are done at the office under close supervision. 

SLIT

SLIT is a newer treatment that delivers allergens in a liquid you place under your tongue. This treatment is taken daily at home, making it a simpler and more convenient option. 

However, SLIT is only FDA-approved to treat certain seasonal allergens, including grass and ragweed, and may not work for everyone.

Getting help for seasonal allergies

You don’t have to suffer through allergy season year after year. If your symptoms are interfering with your daily life, immunotherapy is a potential game-changing solution. 

At Respacare, we offer comprehensive allergy testing and both forms of immunotherapy to help you get lasting symptom relief. 

Call us today or request an appointment using the online booking tool to get started. We can help you decide if immunotherapy is right for you and which option is best.