Definition (1)
- Allergies and asthma: They often occur together
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Prednisone and other corticosteroids: Balance the risks and benefits
- Allergy medications: Know your options
- Allergy shots: Hope for long-term allergy relief
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Allergy shots: Hope for long-term allergy relief
If you wonder whether allergy shots are right for you — or your child — there's plenty to consider. Here's how the shots work, when they're recommended and more.
By Mayo Clinic staffGetting monthly allergy shots certainly isn't your idea of fun — much less your child's. But it might be a worthwhile investment in the long run. Successful treatment with allergy shots generally requires three to five years of regular injections. But, allergy shots can provide relief from symptoms that may continue after treatment is complete.
Allergy shots may offer the best relief if you have persistent allergies that don't respond to medication or if the side effects of allergy medication are intolerable. In children, allergy shots can reduce asthma symptoms and may even play a role in preventing asthma in children who have hay fever.
How do allergy shots work?
Allergy shots are a form of treatment called immunotherapy. Each shot contains a tiny amount of the substances that trigger allergic reactions (allergens). Allergy shots contain just enough allergens to stimulate your immune system — but not enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction. Over time, your doctor will increase the dose of allergy-causing substances in each shot. This helps get your body accustomed (desensitized) to the allergens. Your immune system will build up a tolerance to the allergens, and allergy symptoms will diminish over time.
To be effective, allergy shots are given on a schedule that involves two phases:
- The buildup phase generally lasts three to seven months. Typically you'll get shots one to three times a week. During the buildup phase, the allergen dose is gradually increased with each shot. This helps get your immune system more and more sensitized to the allergens that affect you.
- The maintenance phase generally lasts three to five years or longer. After your dose has been increased to an effective level during the buildup phase, you'll need a maintenance dose — which contains a consistent amount of allergens — about once a month.
In some cases the buildup phase is accelerated, which requires the injection of several injections of increasing doses during each doctor visit. This can decrease the amount of time you need to reach the maintenance phase and get relief from allergy symptoms, but it also increases your risk of having an adverse reaction.
What allergies do allergy shots work for?
Allergy shots are commonly used to control symptoms triggered by:
- Seasonal allergies. If you have seasonal allergic asthma or hay fever symptoms, you may be allergic to pollens released by trees, grasses or weeds.
- Indoor allergens. If you have year-round symptoms, you may be sensitive to indoor allergens such as dust mites, cockroaches, mold or dander from pets such as cats or dogs.
- Insect stings. Allergic reactions to insect stings can be triggered by bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets.
Are allergy shots recommended for everyone with allergies?
Allergy shots may be a good treatment choice if:
- It's impossible to avoid the things that cause your allergic reactions — and allergy medications aren't enough to control your symptoms
- Allergy medications cause intolerable side effects or interactions with other medications you need to take
- You want to reduce your long-term use of allergy medication
- You're allergic to insect stings
Allergy shots may not be a good choice if you have severe uncontrolled asthma, certain heart or lung problems, or if you take a beta blocker for heart problems.
If you're pregnant, starting treatment with allergy shots is usually not recommended. But if you're already getting allergy shots when you become pregnant, you can continue your treatment.
Allergy shots don't work for people with food allergies or chronic hives (urticaria).
Are any tests needed ahead of time?
Yes. Before starting allergy shots, your doctor may use a skin test to confirm that your reactions are caused by an allergy and determine which specific allergens cause your signs and symptoms. During a skin test, a small amount of the suspected allergen is scratched into your skin and the area is then observed for about 20 minutes. Swelling and redness indicate an allergy to the substance.
Your doctor may also use a blood test, such as the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) or the ImmunoCap test.
Next page(1 of 2)
