If you’ve tried allergy medication and eliminating allergens as much as possible from your life but continue suffer with allergies, you may want to consider immunotherapy.
Understanding Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a process of receiving injections with your particular allergen(s) so that your body will produce antibodies to ward of your reaction to them. The doctor will start with a small dose and increase it until you start to show a reaction. This can mean that you receive two injections a week for a month. Once at the proper dosage, you may have to return for an injection weekly for a certain amount of months determined by your doctor.
The Benefits of This Allergy Relief
Immunotherapy can save you a lot of grief and money because once you have built up the antibodies; you will no longer have a reaction to your allergens. You’ll finally find relief from the allergies you suffered with for years. However, for some people, a booster injection is required a few years later.
The Cost of Immunotherapy
Unfortunately, since immunotherapy isn’t considered pharmaceuticals, many insurance companies will not cover the cost. To pay out of pocket, you are looking at about $1,000 for the first year and the second year in which you only get a couple injections a month may run you about $350. If you are not able to afford immunotherapy, shop around because doctors vary in pricing. Also, you can contact your state’s allergy society for information on low or no-cost immunotherapy in your area.
Photo: Sarah G
14. March 2010
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