Some people prefer winter to spring. They know too well what is in store for them while the rest of the world enjoys the floral blooms – pollens, molds and allergies.

Seasonal allergy attacks spare no specific age group. Lock yourself indoors, and you expose yourself to high counts of indoor allergens. Step out of the house, and you make your system a prey to volumes of pollens and spores carried by the breeze and nestled in plants. Where remedial measures appear to be a dilemma, there’s one solution your doctor might advise you to try, allergy shots.

The suggestion is not novel. Immunotherapy or the administration of shots buffs up your tolerance level against specific allergens. The procedure concludes with a significant reduction of your allergic symptoms. The catch: Immunotherapy is a long-term process. It’s not for everyone and it’s obviously not for the impatient. Check out the following information to see if getting these shots are right for you:

• The contents of the shots will always vary from one allergy sufferer to another. “Face your fears” is one way to describe immunotherapy. What is injected into your system is not just any generic sort of medication. Rather, it’s a small dose of the allergen that your body specifically has an aversion for. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulating the extracts used for testing and treating you.
• Instant relief is not possible. Rather, you will experience the symptoms of an attack each time you are given the shots. With correct dosage and monitoring, you should be able to notice a gradual reduction on the impact of the allergens to your body. Immunotherapy is geared for the long term.
• Immunotherapy does not work the same way for all allergy types. Although scientific in approach, there’s no guarantee that immunotherapy will work for you regardless of the kind of allergy you have. Generally, the treatment works better against seasonal allergies caused by insects, molds and pollens compared to indoor allergies caused by dust mites.
• Some people are better off without the shots. If you are pregnant or if you have a history of heart ailments and lung diseases, immunotherapy isn’t for you. Elderly patients and individuals who are currently under medication are strongly advised to discuss the matter with their doctor. The shots have their own set of side effects.
• The treatment takes a lifelong commitment. If you’re thinking of discontinuing the shots because you’re better already, think again. Pre-seasonal shots are administered weekly throughout winter in a span of 3 to 5 years. After that period, you need to stay hooked for maintenance purposes. There’s always a risk of seeing your allergic symptoms recur when you discontinue the treatment.

Choosing allergy shots to find relief is a lifelong commitment. But the rewards are just as geared for the longer term. Compared to not getting any shots at all, the recurrence period for allergic symptoms is much longer and much more controlled with immunotherapy. A “safe” period of 3 years is the estimate. Just imagine what a 3-year respite from your allergic symptoms will be like. Are you ready?

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