“Do allergy shots really cure allergies?”
My son's doctor recommended allergy shots to build up his immune system against his allergies, but I'm not really sure that they would help. How do they really work?
2 Answers
The short answer is yes, absolutely. Allergy shots called subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) or sublingual drops called sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) work by exposing the immune system to very tiny amounts of airborne allergens slowly over time which act by “tricking” or desensitizing the body to not overreact when it is exposed to the real allergen, thereby reducing the magnitude of the patient’s allergy symptoms. Hope this helps!
Allergy shots build blocking antibodies against the allergies and may be the only way to get rid of allergies. Avoidance and antihistamines are only temporary measures. Allergy shots does not cure allergies in all patients.
