The regular ‘ol allergy treatments (think antihistamines and decongestants) only last so long. After just 24 to 48 hours, the effects wear off, leaving you reaching for more of the same medication to hold your symptoms at bay. It’s a vicious cycle, especially if you experience long-term or chronic allergies.
So, you might start searching for an alternative: allergy immunotherapy. But how long do the effects of allergy immunotherapy last? It truly depends on you, but we’ll explore the possibilities more in-depth.
What is Allergy Immunotherapy?
Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) is a type of treatment that helps alleviate the symptoms of allergies. It’s not a cure, but it can dramatically improve allergy symptoms over the long term.
To understand how it works, we need to understand the basics of an allergy (we won’t get too scientific). Simply put, an allergy is your immune system’s response to a foreign substance. Your body naturally produces antibodies, blood proteins that counteract a specific antigen.
When you’re exposed to an allergen that your body deems harmful (even if it isn’t), those antibodies jump into action, leading to the flare-up of symptoms you recognize as an allergic reaction.
With that in mind, we can move on to the specifics of allergy immunotherapy. It works by delivering a small, incrementally increasing dose of the allergen to your body. This gives your immune system a chance to build an allergen-specific tolerance, leveraging that repeated exposure to slowly “train” your immune system.
Types of Allergy Immunotherapy
There are two primary categories of allergy immunotherapy: sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). They both serve the same role (to reduce sensitivity to a particular allergen) but go about it using different methods of administration.
The first, called sublingual immunotherapy, uses a tablet or drops to deliver each dose of the allergen. You’ll place the drops or tablet under your tongue and swallow, delivering the allergen to your body to let your immune system do its work.
The second, called subcutaneous immunotherapy, is the more commonly used injection (you may have heard it called an allergy shot) to deliver the allergen to your body. Since it’s a more direct dose, there’s a higher chance of an adverse reaction with this method. So, if you get allergy shots, you’ll have to visit your doctor or allergist for each injection and remain at the office for a little while afterward for monitoring.
Does Allergy Immunotherapy Actually Work?
This might be the first time you’ve heard of allergy immunotherapy, but it’s nothing new. The treatment (in its earliest forms) has been around for over a century. Leonard Noon and John Freeman originally introduced the treatment as allergen desensitization or hypo-sensitization in 1911.
In the time since, researchers have picked apart the treatment and its workings, demonstrating its efficacy through numerous studies. Many of these studies are readily available online, while others are published in countless books.
For example, a European study compared AIT-treated subjects to a control group. It found that the treated group was consistently associated with more significant reductions in allergic rhinitis and asthma prescriptions than the control group. Furthermore, the treated group had a higher chance of stepping down asthma treatment than the control group.
There are plenty of trials, too, that demonstrate this efficacy. For example, a handful of research and clinical trials examined subcutaneous injections. They found that these injections are highly effective in achieving an allergen-specific tolerance that can offer clinical benefits for years after discontinuing the treatment.
These are just a couple of the many studies and trials out there. If you want to learn more about AIT, specific types of AIT, or its impact on specific allergies, you won’t have any shortage of material.
How Long Will the Effects of Allergy Immunotherapy Last?
The effects of allergy immunotherapy can last anywhere from a few years to indefinitely. Some folks can stop the treatment after they achieve the desired effect and still enjoy the benefits, while others need to continue treatment indefinitely to preserve the effects. It all depends on you and how your body responds to treatment.
It’s important to note that allergy immunotherapy, whether you choose sublingual immunotherapy or subcutaneous immunotherapy, isn’t a quick fix. It takes time for the results to appear. You won’t see improvements overnight.
Instead, it usually takes at least a year or two for the results to become noticeable. Some people notice slight improvements within the first year, but it usually takes two to three years for the best improvements to appear. Again, like the length of time the effects will last, the time it takes to see results will vary based on you and how your body responds to treatment.
Closing Thoughts
Allergy immunotherapy is known to be a long-lasting solution. It offers promising results to people from all walks of life, providing long-term benefits and relief from irritating allergy symptoms. However, it’s worth noting that the amount of time your results will last hinges on how your body responds to treatment.
While some folks may need to continue treatment to preserve the results, others may be able to stop after a few years and enjoy the results indefinitely. It all depends on you!