Allergy Shots in Philadelphia

Congratulations to the allergy doctors at The Asthma Center for winning Philadelphia Magazine’s Top Doctors award! Our allergy doctors look forward to seeing you in any of our office locations in Philadelphia and South Jersey.

Allergy shots in Philadelphia are an extremely effective treatment for allergies and asthma. The allergy and asthma specialists at The Asthma Center use allergy shots (immunotherapy injections) to treat allergy patients who have moderate to severe symptoms of upper respiratory allergies, allergic asthma, or insect sting reactions not adequately treated by standard allergy medicines. Learn more about getting allergy shots in Philadelphia by the allergy doctors at The Asthma Center.

Why Use Allergy Shots in Philadelphia?

Allergy shots contain the allergens that you are sensitive to, which may include pollen, dust mites, cat dander, mold, insect venom etc. Unlike medications, allergy shots do not directly suppress symptoms; instead they initiate processes that seem to “turn off” the abnormal immune reaction that we term “allergy.” The result is that you become less sensitive to the allergen(s) injected and need fewer medications. Most patients of the allergy doctors at The Asthma Center benefit from such therapy. It usually takes 1-2 years of allergy shot therapy under the care of an allergy doctor to achieve the desired results although some patients show benefit early. If no response is seen within 1-2 years of allergy shots, therapy is discontinued.

How Long Do I Take Allergy Shots at Philly’s Allergy Doctors?

At our allergy practice, a course of allergy shots often lasts 3-6 years, all under the supervision of an allergy doctor. Allergy shots begin with a very low dose, then are built up gradually on a regular basis (usually once a week) until a therapeutic or “maintenance dose” is achieved. The highest tolerated maintenance doses are given every 3 weeks. It is important to maintain allergy shots at the proper time interval. Missing allergy shots for a short vacation or for some other acute medical problem is acceptable.

During an allergy shot course of treatment, you will be re-evaluated occasionally by an allergy doctor with allergy skin testing. Based on the results of the allergy testing, subsequent changes in the allergy shot extract or schedule of the allergy injections may be necessary to obtain the best results. Our allergy doctors will usually consider discontinuing injections when you have minimum symptoms and have a normal or near-normal exam for at least one year.

Most patients of The Asthma Center will continue to do well after stopping allergy shots, and some will have a slight increase in symptoms controllable with medications. A small number of patients, however, will require resumption of allergy injections under the care of an allergy doctor. Other guidelines (which The Asthma Center specialists will review with you) are used for stopping shots when used for asthma and insect sting reaction.

Can I Have an Allergic Reaction to Allergy Shots?

While most patients do not normally experience reactions other than minor reactions, it is important for you to know about potential reactions. The possibility for reactions to allergy shots are why allergy shots are administered in the offices of The Asthma Center. The types of allergy reactions are outlined below.

• Local reactions to allergy shots (swelling, itching, heat, redness or tenderness) at the site of injection may occur in most patients receiving shots. These local reactions usually resolve within 24 hours or less. Local reactions may occur immediately or several hours after your injection.
• Systemic reactions to allergy shots may consist of any or all of the following symptoms: itchy eyes, nose or throat; runny nose; nasal congestion; sneezing; tightness in the throat or chest; coughing or wheezing; swelling of tissue around eyes, tongue, throat or hives beyond injection site. Also, some may experience lightheaded-ness, faintness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach or uterine (menstrual-type) cramps, drop in blood pressure and in some extreme conditions, loss of consciousness reactions and/or heart rhythm problems which may be serious but rarely fatal.
• Large local reactions to allergy shots in general and systemic reactions may occur in 1-5% of the patients and usually occur during the build-up phase although they can occur at any time during the course of treatment. These reactions necessitate a dosage adjustment. The overwhelming majority of these reactions occur within 30 minutes of the injection and should be reported immediately to the nurse or physician so that they may be reversed with medications while in the office.

Because of the risk of reactions to allergy shots, tit is the responsibility of each patient to remain in the doctor’s office for 30 minutes after each allergy shot injection to make certain that you do not experience an allergic reaction. Repeated disregard of this waiting period for patient safety may be a reason to discontinue allergy shots.

If after leaving the office you experience significant swelling or tenderness in your arm, please tell the nurse prior to you next injection. In addition, if after leaving the office you experience a generalized reaction, please immediately return to the office during office hours or proceed to the nearest emergency room. Patients who cannot keep a regular allergy injection schedule are discouraged from continuing injections since an erratic injection schedule is associated with a higher incidence of reactions

Philly’s Best Allergy Doctors for Allergy Shots

As the Philadelphia region’s premier allergy practice, the doctors at The Asthma Center have been providing excellent allergy care to patients for over thirty years. The allergy specialists at The Asthma Center focus on diagnosing and treating allergies in adults and children and are consistently voted as Philadelphia’s best allergy doctors. The Asthma Center doctors have successfully treated thousands of patients with allergy shots in Philadelphia and the surrounding region.

Our allergy and asthma doctors, adult and pediatric allergists, and asthma specialists treat patients with allergy shots in convenient locations throughout Delaware Valley, metropolitan Philadelphia, and South Jersey.

Center City Philadelphia • Northeast Philadelphia

Langhorne, Bucks County PA

Mt. Laurel NJ