Food allergy causes an instant reaction in an individual’s body when they intake a particular food item they are allergic to. To reduce the effect of reaction, different treatments are prescribed by the doctors. The most common ones are allergy shots and allergy drops. Read on to have a detailed look at both the methods and how they work.
Allergy Shots
Allergy shots work similar to vaccinations. They boost the immunity system of the body and help in blocking the allergic reactions. Allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, are a sequence of injections that help to fight the allergens that trigger the allergic reactions.
It works in the following manner. Allergy shots are injected into the person’s body over a period of time as per the preplanned schedule. Initially, one or two shots are given per week in the first 3 to 6 months and the dose is reduced to one shot per month for the next 3 to 5 years. However, the quantity per shot is gradually increased in every shot so that the body could accept the component allergen in an individual’s system. The doctor will observe the patient after every allergy shot for about 30 to 40 minutes to tackle any serious reaction if it occurs in the patient’s body.
After a dose of allergy shot, one may suffer slight irritation on the spot of injection. However, it is short-lived and depends on the quantity of dosage. Some other serious adverse effects of allergy shots include tightening of the chest and swelling in the throat. A point to be noted here is that allergy shots are not suitable for pregnant women and kids under 5 years of age.
Allergy Drops
Allergy drops works without the painful injections. They work by the simple procedure of putting a drop under the tongue of the person with the allergy. The patient doesn’t necessarily have to visit the doctor and can do the needful at their homes. The patient only has to visit the doctor follow their progress. The number of visits is limited to only a few times in a year.
World Health Organization (WHO) has termed this therapy as a “viable alternative” to the allergy shot therapy. Also known as sublingual immunotherapy, this treatment can be followed by everyone without any adverse effects. The patient needs to take a few allergy drops daily, the dosage is increased with the passage of time as per the direction of the doctor.
To sum it up, both the allergy drops and the allergy shots work efficiently in eliminating the allergies from the patient’s life. However, allergy shots come with certain side effects and difficulty as the patient needs to regularly visit the doctor and spend some extra 30 to 40 minutes there after their treatment. Allergy drops make for a convenient use and have no adverse effects on the patient’s body.
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