Main MenuA Better Alternative to Allergy Shots
Contrary to what some may believe, medications like antihistamines do not treat allergies — they simply alleviate the symptoms. Effective allergy treatment must reduce your body’s ability to produce a response to an allergen. Your body has to gradually build up a tolerance to the substance, to the point where you won’t experience symptoms if you inhale or consume it. *Individual results may vary
Currently, there are two ways to desensitize your body to an allergen: subcutaneous immunotherapy (allergy shots) and sublingual immunotherapy (allergy drops). Dr. Anne Hermann and her team have seen wonderful results with sublingual immunotherapy. Our Tampa and St Petesburg allergy patients tolerate it superbly, and are able to attain relief from irritating allergies. *Individual results may vary
Who Can Benefit from Sublingual Immunotherapy?
Sublingual immunotherapy is designed to help people with airborne and non-serious food allergies. Over time, sublingual immunotherapy desensitizes the body to a specific allergen(s), meaning the body will stop producing a response to an allergen if it is inhaled or consumed. *Individual results may vary
Sublingual immunotherapy is suitable for use in adults and children. It’s easily portable for adults on the go, or college students who want to take it with them to school.
How Sublingual Immunotherapy Is Administered
Before starting sublingual immunotherapy, our team will confirm your allergies with a skin or blood test. We will send the results of your allergy testing to a lab to prepare the proper dosing of your allergy drops. Multiple allergens can usually be mixed in one bottle.
When you receive your drops, you will place the drops underneath your tongue and hold them in place for 20 seconds before swallowing them.
Most patients take between one and three drops daily. We will specify how many drops to take and how often, based on your allergy. We will check in with you periodically to monitor your progress.
Over the course of treatment, the drops will reduce your body’s reaction to the allergen(s), to the point where you should be able to inhale or consume an allergen without experiencing any allergy symptoms.
Advantages of Sublingual Immunotherapy
There are many advantages to taking sublingual immunotherapy rather than undergoing subcutaneous immunotherapy.
First and foremost, sublingual immunotherapy is safe and effective. Although allergy drops are not approved by the FDA, they are approved and commonly used in countries in Europe and around the world. Allergy drops are available in the United States through allergy doctors. So far, there have not been serious adverse reactions to allergy drops.
Another advantage of sublingual immunotherapy is that you don’t need to come to our office. In contrast, allergy shots must be administered at your doctor’s office. It’s inconvenient and time-consuming for our patients to schedule regular appointments to get their shots.
Also, with allergy shots, you must stay in the office for 30 minutes afterward to be observed and monitored in case of a serious allergic reaction. Allergy drops are designed to be taken on your own, and do not require our observation.
To illustrate how much easier and more convenient sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is, consider that SLIT has an 80 percent finish rate (of two-year treatment) compared to a mere 13 percent finish rate for allergy shots.
Patients who are passionate about a holistic approach to healthcare will appreciate that with successful sublingual immunotherapy, antihistamines may no longer be needed. *Individual results may vary
Learn More about Sublingual Immunotherapy
If you suffer from allergies in Tampa or St. Petersburg and would like to learn more about sublingual immunotherapy, please schedule an appointment at Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness. Our team of highly trained doctors and nurse practitioners would be happy to discuss sublingual immunotherapy in greater detail, and explain how it can help you achieve relief from allergy symptoms. Please call (813) 902-9559 or (727) 278-3992 today.