Allergy Drops
Allergy Immunotherapy Gives You Treatment Choices
Most Allergy Medications Provide Only Temporary Relief for Allergy Symptoms
However, immunotherapy works differently to help control the underlying response in your immune system that eventually leads to allergy symptoms.
Allergy immunotherapy gradually exposes your immune system to increasing doses of the allergens that cause your symptoms. As the dose concentration increases, so does the tolerance in your immune system. It’s not a “cookie-cutter” approach. Your treatment medication is a custom prescription for the type and severity of your specific allergies. Our allergy team also adjusts your dosing concentration and schedule to match your sensitivities and responses as treatment continues.
Bella Vista ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery offers two types of allergy immunotherapy – allergy injections and allergy drops. Both methods are available to treat environmental allergies, and treatment choice depends on the patient’s ability to follow the directions for using drops or for receiving a shot every week. We can treat patients as young as 4 years old if they can comply with the therapy requirements.
I Know What an Injection Is, but What Are Allergy Drops?
Allergy drops are also known as sublingual immunotherapy or S.L.I.T. and are administered as daily drops under your tongue, instead of by an injection. Allergy drops are absorbed under the tongue, where oral immune cells play a role in helping the body gradually adapt to allergens. Because these cells are involved in both inherent and adaptive immune responses, delivering daily allergy drops consistently to this area allows your immune system to increase tolerance to your trigger allergens.
Am I a Candidate for Allergy Drops?
Allergy drops may be a treatment option for certain allergy sufferers. This type of immunotherapy may be especially beneficial for patients who can’t tolerate or don’t respond to allergy injections, as well as those who have difficulty making the scheduled office visits required for allergy injection treatment. Like allergy injections, you must follow a dosing schedule consistently as directed by your provider. Allergy drops are administered at home, which may reduce the need for frequent clinic visits associated with injections.
Allergy Drops: A Convenient Treatment Option for Allergy Management
Convenience
- Fits your lifestyle. You can take allergy drops wherever you are, making them easier to fit into a busy lifestyle.
- Easily administered at home. You may be able to avoid taking time off during your day for the regular clinic visits required by allergy shots.
- Designed for comfort. No injections are needed, offering a needle-free alternative to allergy shots.
Effectiveness
- Allergy drops may help patients maintain a consistent treatment schedule through convenient at-home administration.
- Patients may experience improvements in allergy symptoms over time, although individual responses and treatment timelines vary.
Safety
- Allergy drops may be an option for eligible patients across different age groups, depending on their medical history and treatment needs.
- Potential side effects may include mild irritation or itching in the mouth or throat, although more serious allergic reactions are possible.
- Studies suggest that serious systemic reactions may occur less frequently with allergy drops than with allergy injections, although both treatments carry potential risks.
Cost Considerations
- Medication needs. Patients may find that their need for allergy medications changes as treatment progresses, depending on their individual response.
- Fewer clinic visits. Compared to allergy shots, allergy drops typically require fewer routine clinic visits because they can be administered at home.
- Treatment flexibility. At-home administration may help reduce time away from work, school, or other daily responsibilities for clinic appointments.
Take the Next Step Toward Allergy Relief
Contact the team of ear, nose, and throat specialists at Bella Vista ENT to learn more about your allergy treatment options!
Providing comprehensive allergy care for patients throughout Ventura County, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Encino, Tarzana, West Hills, Woodland Hills, and Newbury Park at our conveniently located Thousand Oaks office.