Is there any data on the effectiveness of allergy shots in relieving the symptoms of seasonal allergies? We’ve done the skin prick test with my 6-year-old son and confirmed that he has horrible spring allergies (tree pollen). Before trying to talk him into the multi-year commitment that allergy shots entail, I’d love to find some data that evaluate their effectiveness.
–Tired of watching my little guy suffer in the spring
Immunotherapy to address seasonal allergies has been around for some time, but you are right that it is a big commitment. For mild allergies — which are extremely common — doctors will generally recommend medication. Progression to immunotherapy, which involves either shots or oral administration, is considered only in more serious cases. Which it sounds like yours might be, I’m sorry.
There is some evidence of efficacy of these medications in kids, notably in preventing kids from developing allergic asthma. In one trial, children treated with immunotherapy developed asthma at a rate of 20%, versus 45% in a control group. This effect was highly significant. That trial is consistent with a larger meta-analysis, which found a reduction in asthma risk in the short term, though did not find that it persisted in the longer term.
This is to say that there is some evidence for positive impacts, but allergy shots are also a real commitment and they do not cure allergies for everyone completely. For this reason, doctors will often have kids wait until they are older, to see if the seasonal allergies can be better controlled with medication.
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I had allergy shots around the same age as your son and it was night and day. Yes, I do still have much worse allergies than the average person but as I child I used to lose my voice for several months a year due to how bad my seasonal allergies were. The main downside that she doesn’t mention here is that they are very regionally specific. I have moved away from the place where I got them and while they still help they definitely help less. I am sure your allergist has already told you this but if you are considering moving anytime soon I would hold off!
Is their information on taking allergy shots while pregnant? When I took allergy shots in my twenties, my allergist mentioned something about how doing them while pregnant would help my kid avoid the same seasonal allergies I have but that was a decade ago and I’ve moved away from that allergist and am wondering whether it’s worth seeking out a new one while pregnant to help my kid avoid my nearly year round sniffles!