Treating Allergies

There are no quick and easy answers to treating allergic symptoms, and many patients are allergic to more than one thing. The first step is determining the specific cause of the symptoms. A treatment plan most often includes avoidance of the allergen, if possible, as well as medications to help control allergy symptoms.

Medications do not decrease the sensitivity to allergens; they only control your symptoms. Immunotherapy, in the form of allergy injections or allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy), decrease the severity of allergy symptoms by decreasing the sensitivity to allergens. They use your own natural defenses to create a tolerance to triggers and reduce symptoms. Over time patients often find they need less medication as allergy immunotherapy builds this tolerance. To learn more, watch our short video.

Girl With CatStudies show that treating allergies with immunotherapy may prevent the development of other allergies or asthma later in life. Also, for patients with asthma and allergies, studies show that immunotherapy can reduce the amount of inhaled steroid medication needed to control asthma symptoms.