The perennial plague of itchy eyes, runny noses and irritation strikes once more with the season change. If your tired of mascara marks on your face or don’t ever want to use your tie as an emergency tissue, allergy shots may be the perfect solution for you. Now Rush Allergy Shots (Rush Immunotherapy) offer a day at the doctor for immediate swell and snot-free relief.
How Do Allergy Shots Work?
Allergy shots work for people of all ages to boost the body’s tolerance to environmental allergens, stings, pollen, dust mites mold and pet dander. Immunity is achieved by injecting allergy ‘extracts’ or proteins taken from allergy sources such as mold or pelt.
Rush Allergy Shots reduce visits to the allergist by 20 and offer immediate symptom relief
Before the procedure begins, the allergist does a physical examination of the patient and conducts lab results to conclude how a patient would react to injections. In traditional allergy immunotherapy, the “build up” phase alone can take up to 12 months to complete. This phase is where the patient receives an increased dosage of immunotherapy extract each visit until the body builds a proper tolerance to the allergen(s). The patient visits the doctor anywhere from one to three times per week for that 12 month period. Once the patient reaches an adequate immunity level, treatment continues with monthly injections for maintenance.
What Are Rush Allergy Shots?
Rush Allergy Shots are also known as rush immunotherapy procedures (R.I.T) and have been safe for public use since the early 2000s. In rush immunotherapy or rapid desensitization, the patient receives a series of injections over a four to six hour period. The rush allergy shot procedure is said to reduce the patient’s time at the clinic by 20 visits or by 40% of time. After this initial rush protocol, the patient still needs to visit their allergist anywhere from once every two- eight weeks depending on the type of allergen they received immunotherapy for.
Advantages of Rush Allergy Shots
- Less time at the doctor by at least 40%
- Immediate symptom relief after initial R.I.T is complete
- Rare chance of harmful reaction
- Good for patients with allergies to certain stings who need immediate treatment
Disadvantages of Rush Allergy Shots
- You must remain at the doctor for a longer period of time after the injections. It is recommended for 2 hours after the final injection because that is when most systemic reactions take place in R.I.T
- Not recommended for patients with poorly controlled asthma
Not all allergies are created equal. You could spend more/less time at the doctor depending on the type and number of allergens you receive immunotherapy for. To learn more about rush allergy shots, contact your local allergist or find a new one at www.careclubusa.com!
Sources and More Information Available At:
AAAI.ORG MetaAnalysis of Immunotherapy
