Allergy
Injections
Contrary to
public belief, the main treatment for
allergies is not with allergy shots!
Injection therapy should be the final
resort; and, before one jumps to treat
allergies, it is, of course, best to define
them.
Are the
symptoms due to allergens. The large painful
swellings following bee stings, for example,
are not from allergies. They are toxic
reactions due to the irritant nature of the
venom.
Allergies
need definition otherwise pets are banished
outdoors, when in fact, they are innocent.
House dust allergy is managed different from
dander and it different from mold. A visit
to the friendly allergist for skin testing
(or blood analyses) should properly identify
the allergic offenders..
Should the
symptoms relate to allergy, avoidance is the
best approach. Mites, roaches, and mold can
be minimized. The pets placed elsewhere:
particularly, out from the bedroom.
Medications
are the next line of defense. . The rule in
medicine is twofold: medications should be
first, safe, and second, effective. Better
ones are produced each day. Your physician
should know best for you. Checking them out
on the internet isn’t an exercise in
futility. More informed patients are more
likely to be compliant with the program.
Injection
therapy is an immunization procedure.
Traditional injections contain the very
substances one is allergic to but in minute
concentrations. Each subsequent injection
comes at an increased dose. Initially shots
are given weekly; by the end of the year
they are generally spaced out to one per
every two to four weeks. Much variation in
the program exists from doctor to doctor.
Injections when given appropriately, for
those still uncomfortable after implementing
avoidance and using medications,
immunization should prove quite helpful.
Cures are not possible, but major relief
from symptoms is the rule.
The
downside of injection therapy is the cost,
inconvenience, and the duration of
treatment. The decision to begin them is
strictly a patient determination: the
physician being the patient’s consultant.
Bill Ziering
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