Content reviewed by Marcy D. Markes, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Sublingual Immunotherapy is an allergy treatment option that is beneficial to those that are looking for an alternative option to allergy shots. Sublingual Immunotherapy works by applying small, safe doses of the allergen under your tongue to build an effective tolerance. By utilizing Sublingual Immunotherapy, our allergy specialists can help you get back to living a healthy life. If you are interested in our shot-free allergy treatment please feel free to learn more below or contact us today to schedule an appointment with our professional allergy specialists in Columbia, MO.
The Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Treatment Process
What to expect from Sublingual Immunotherapy?
Sublingual Immunotherapy improves your allergies through small drops or tablets that are taken orally. Before one of our allergy specialists can administer this allergy treatment, they first need to have you take an allergy screening to understand exactly which allergens are causing an allergic reaction. Once our allergy specialists know the allergens which result in a reaction, they will prepare a droplet with the allergen extract or provide a tablet to start your Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment.
How does Sublingual Immunotherapy work?
Once the droplets or tablets are formulated, the allergy treatment process can occur. Sublingual Immunotherapy first starts by our allergy specialists showing you the proper way to take the droplet or tablet. From there, the tablet will dissolve or the droplet will be consumed, which will administer the effects of Sublingual Immunotherapy.
The Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Treatment Options
- Sublingual Immunotherapy tablets are dissolved under your tongue and taken daily to help improve the immunity to your allergen.
- Sublingual Immunotherapy droplets are placed under your tongue daily for a couple of minutes and then swallowed, which allows the droplet to have the proper effects and improve the immunity to your allergen.
After the initial treatment by our allergy specialists, the Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment process continues daily for a pre-specified period of time. It is important to understand how to place the tablet or droplet correctly because, after your first appointment with our allergy specialists, you will be administering the Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment yourself. Depending on the severity of your allergy and what our allergy specialists recommend, the Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment can be repeated daily. This weekly allergy treatment process can continue for three to five years to ensure quality immunity to the allergen.
What are the typical results from Sublingual Immunotherapy?
The result of utilizing our shot-free allergy treatment is that you or a loved one may have reduced reactions to that specific allergen in the future with a less invasive treatment option. Sublingual Immunotherapy is proven to be relatively effective and safe for the treatment of dust mites, grass, ragweed, tree pollens, cat dander, and more.
Some of the side effects of Sublingual Immunotherapy include itching of the mouth or stomach issues, which can be resolved through dose adjustments. Most of the time, if you are going to experience a side effect from the Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment, the side effect will happen early in the allergy treatment process and can be resolved quite quickly by our allergy specialists.
Please note that sublingual immunotherapy drops are currently not yet FDA approved. As such, the treatment may not be covered by your insurance provider. All patients should consult first with their insurance provider to confirm if treatments are covered.
Sublingual Immunotherapy Allergy Treatment Option at Our Columbia, MO Clinic
Providing each of our Columbia, MO, clients with Sublingual Immunotherapy helps to better our patients lives by reducing their symptoms to specific allergies with a convenient and less invasive treatment method. Building up one’s overall tolerance helps to maintain immunity to the allergen. At Columbia Allergy and Asthma Specialists, our main goal is putting our patients’ needs first, and we can truly do that by offering this shot-free allergy treatment option. If you are interested in learning more about our Sublingual Immunotherapy allergy treatment or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact our allergy specialists today.