Allergy Immunotherapy
To help combat common allergies, our Houston allergy center offers immunotherapy to help reduce or eliminate allergy symptoms.
Treatment
- Allergy immunotherapy is a long-term treatment option for reducing or eliminating symptoms for many allergy patients.
- Immunotherapy modifies your immune system’s reaction to allergens by utilizing weekly allergy shots to reduce sneezing, itching, and congestion.
- Because of the nature of the immune system, the immunotherapy process is intentionally slow, taking between three to five years in some cases. However, most patients experience great relief from their allergy symptoms well before then, usually after several months.
- In order to customize the immunotherapy treatment to your unique sensitivities, two allergy skin tests are performed. It is important to not take any antihistamines or products containing antihistamine for three days prior to testing as it can affect the reaction you’ll have.
- Prick testing is a qualitative screening tool to determine your allergy sensitivities. It is important to verify that you are not overly sensitive to a particular allergen that may cause a severe or life-threatening allergic reaction.
- Intradermal testing is a quantitative test to customize your allergy treatment protocol.
- Many patients decide to receive their immunotherapy shots at home. In order to do this, the patient or caregiver must go through a detailed training and educational process to make sure the treatment is safe. This usually takes three office visits. After the training is complete, you will be given a custom vial for weekly injections along with dosing protocols.
- You will return every 10 to 11 weeks for a new custom vial for your therapy. Once again, it is important to not take any antihistamines or products containing antihistamine for three days prior to the testing as it can affect the reaction.
- Some patients are not comfortable giving themselves shots. These patients may come to the office weekly to receive their immunotherapy treatment.
West Houston Office
12121 Richmond Avenue, Suite #104
Houston, Texas 77082
Phone: 281-920-5558
Bellaire Office
6699 Chimney Rock Road, Suite #202
Houston, Texas 77081
Phone: 713-665-8887