Immunotherapy for hay fever
A long-term solution to get rid of your hay fever permanently.Reasons to consider immunotherapy
3 reasons to consider immunotherapy
Allergy symptoms are impacting your quality of life
Immunotherapy can significantly reduce or even eliminate hay fever symptoms, allowing you to enjoy spring and summer to the fullest.
Avoid developing asthma
If left untreated, hay fever can lead to allergic asthma. Immunotherapy will help you avoid this.
A long term solution
Immunotherapy is a long-term solution by treating the root cause of the allergy. This way, you won't need to take allergy symptom medication for the rest of your life.
How it works
Before starting immunotherapy, you need to take an allergy test. The test identifies the allergens causing your symptoms.
Based on the test results, an allergy specialist will assess, if you are eligible for immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is possible for most common pollen allergens like grasses, birch and other tree pollen.
If your test results indicate, that you are eligible for immunotherapy, a doctor will prescribe suitable immunotherapy treatment.
For most common allergy triggers, grasses and tree pollen, oral treatment in the form of drops or tablets are available. Other allergens might require injections.
Immunotherapy treatment should be started 2-3 months before allergy season begins.
In case of tablets or drops, the first- time intake should be done with a healthcare provider in attendance to ensure that you do not have any adverse reactions to the medication. After that, oral treatments are taken from home.
Injections will always be taken at a doctor's office.
Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment. While an improvement of symptoms can often already be observed soon after starting treatment, to achieve best possible treatment success, you need to stick with it for at least 2-3 years.
During treatment, your doctor will monitor your progress and adjust the dosage if necessary to achieve the best possible results.
Over time, you should notice an improvement in your allergy symptoms as your immune system becomes less sensitive to the allergens.
An improvement of symptoms can often already be observed soon after starting treatment. However, to achieve best possible treatment success, you need to stick with it for at least 2-3 years.
Treatment Options
What are different immunotherapy treatment options?
Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)
SLIT involves placing tablets containing allergen extracts under your tongue. This method is more convenient than allergy shots and is administered at home, but it typically takes longer to see results compared to allergy shots.
Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT)
SCIT entails injecting small amounts of allergen extracts under the skin to desensitize the immune system. It requires regular injections but can provide long-term relief from allergy symptoms. SCIT is less convenient but takes shorter to show results compared to SLIT.
Questions about immunotherapy? We have answers.
How effective is immunotherapy?
Both the SLIT and SCIT methods offer effective treatment for your allergy. The effectiveness of your immunotherapy varies depending on the type of allergy, your individual reaction, and other factors. However, in general, the immunotherapy is considered effective, especially for allergies to insect bites, food, and inhalant allergens such as pollen, dust mites, and animal dander. However, it may take several months to years for significant improvements to occur.
When does immunotherapy make sense?
Immunotherapy can make sense for severe allergies that affect your life and are difficult to avoid, such as common allergens (pollen, dust mites, animal hair). You may also consider an immunotherapy if medications are not enough or cause unwanted side effects. Children with allergies may also benefit. However, your decision should be made individually and in consultation with one of our doctors.
For which allergies is immunotherapy possible?
Immunotherapy is possible for inhalation allergies such as pollen or animal hair, food allergies such as peanuts or milk, and insect venom allergies. Suitability depends on the type and severity of the allergy and your individual situation.
Is everyone eligible for immunotherapy?
People with severe cardiovascular disease, asthma, or certain autoimmune diseases may not be able to undergo immunotherapy. A thorough evaluation is required to determine whether an immunotherapy is an option for you.
What are the side effects of immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy may cause temporary side effects, such as local injection site reactions (SCIT) or a mild tingling sensation in the mouth (SLIT). Less commonly, systemic reactions such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itching or hives can occur. While more serious reactions such as difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis are extremely rare, they require immediate medical attention.
How many treatment cycles are necessary?
The number of treatment cycles needed for immunotherapy varies depending on the type of allergy, your individual reaction and the method used (SCIT vs. SLIT).
How long does immunotherapy take?
The duration of immunotherapy varies depending on the type of allergy, individual reaction and the method used. For SCIT, treatment usually lasts 3 to 5 years or longer, while SLIT is usually given over several months to a few years. The exact duration is determined individually and discussed with one of our doctors.