Allergy Treatment

There are several ways you can deal with allergies. Some over-the-counter antihistamines help relieve allergy symptoms. When those alone aren’t effective enough, we evaluate patients’ allergy testing and sometimes recommend immunotherapy to treat more severe allergy symptoms. Your ENT physician will talk with you about the options and help you find the right fit for your symptoms and schedule. Harbin Clinic ENT can even prescribe sub-lingual (under the tongue) drops for patients with “needle-phobia.”

IMMUNOTHERAPY

Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) involves a series of shots containing small amounts of allergen.

SCIT includes two phases: a buildup phase and a maintenance phase. During the buildup phase, doctors administer injections containing gradually increasing amounts of allergen once or twice per week. This phase generally lasts from three to six months, depending on how often the shots are given and the body’s response. Once the maximum dose of allergen is reached, the maintenance phase begins. Shots are given less frequently during the maintenance phase, typically every two to four weeks. Maintenance therapy generally lasts three to five years. Many people continue to experience relief from their allergies for several years after the shots are stopped.

DR. BEAUCHAMP DISCUSSES ALLERGY TREATMENTS

SUB-LINGUAL DROPS

Sub-lingual immunotherapy (SLIT) offers people with these allergies a potential alternative to allergy shots.

People taking sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) place a tablet containing allergen under the tongue. SLIT tablets are taken daily and kept under the tongue for one to two minutes, then swallowed. The allergen doses used in SLIT typically are higher than those used in SCIT. For example, a daily SLIT dose for grass pollen is roughly equivalent to a monthly SCIT dose.

Visit Harbin Clinic Allergy Care for more information.