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Treating Your Adult-Onset Allergies: Options For You

23 May 2016 by Sasha Meyer

When you have made it through childhood and adolescence and are well into adulthood without ever having experienced allergies, you may be tempted to count yourself among the lucky few who will never go through the annual allergy struggle. However, what you may not have realized is that a person can develop allergies at any time in their life, including adulthood. If you have found that you are now suffering from allergies as an adult that you never experienced before in your life, you may wonder what you can do to reduce your symptoms and start feeling better. Get to know some of the treatment options available for your adult-onset allergies so you can get started.  

Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots)

Immunotherapy is a form of allergy treatment that focuses on trying to build up the body's tolerance or immunity to the substances that you are allergic to. This is accomplished in the form of weekly or semi-weekly shots that you receive in a doctor's office or specialty lab.

In order to get immunotherapy, you will first have to go to an allergist (an allergy specialist) and get allergy testing. Allergy testing is a process where you will have single drops of a potential allergen placed on your skin on either your arm or back. Each substance has a specific location in the sequence so the doctor can identify which one you have a reaction to. They then use a needle to inject that substance just beneath the surface of your skin. If you are allergic, you will have a reaction similar to a mosquito bite. 

Once your doctor knows what you are allergic to, the can develop the serum that will be used in your allergy shots. This serum is made up of very small amounts of all of the substances you have an allergy to. By introducing these substances into the body on a regular basis, you will be building up your immune system's tolerance to exposure and therefore, reducing your symptoms over time. 

Rapid Desensitization

Rapid desensitization is another form of allergy immunotherapy that seeks to build on the basic principle of the standard allergy shots and speed the process up. This form of immunotherapy is generally administered to patients who have multiple allergies and who are in need of more immediate relief than traditional allergy shots can provide. 

The rapid desensitization process involves administering shots every few hours instead of on a weekly basis. In a matter of days, you will receive several allergy shots that build up to what is known as a maintenance level (when the optimal level of tolerance is created in the body).  

Rapid desensitization relies on close monitoring and treatments ahead of time and throughout the process if needed, to prevent a severe reaction to the treatment known as anaphylaxis. Anphylaxis is a reaction in which the airways close up and a person cannot get oxygen into the body. This can be fatal if not under the immediate care of doctors. As such, there is some elevated risk of the rapid desensitization process over standard allergy shots, but can be managed with proper care. 

Now that you know a few of the treatment options for adult-onset allergies, you can be sure that you get the help and care you need to manage your allergies going forward. For further assistance, contact local professionals, such as those from Allergy & Asthma Clinic of Wyoming LLC.

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