Allergist & Allergy Treatments In Chesapeake & Harrisonburg, VA

Benefits Of Talking To Our Allergist About Allergy Shots

To understand the benefits of allergy shots, you will need to understand how you get an allergy. Your immune system is set up to make antibodies to threats to your body. Sometimes it makes antibodies to things that are not threats, like food or pollen, mold, dust, or other types of allergies. Once you have antibodies to anything, your immune system then recognizes that threat and creates something called the antigen/antibody reaction. The antibody marker is on a cell wall, and when it recognizes an antigen something you have made antibodies to; it causes the cell to release strong inflammatory chemicals that cause inflammation.

Inflammation is the underlying cause of all disease. In allergies it effects the mucous membranes of the sinuses, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, lungs, gut, and skin. It can cause chronic ear infections, chronic sinus infections, Asthma, or eczema. There is something called the atopic march. It is the way allergies begin. You generally start with eczema, then allergies and then comes asthma. I would like you to remember that sinus infections, ear infections, asthma and gut problems are significant issues. If you are evaluated for allergies and decide to do allergy shots, your body will stop making new antibodies over time; and eventually get rid of the existing antibodies. So, in essence, if you do the shots, you can get rid of asthma in many cases, eczema, and eliminate or decrease your sinus issues. If your immune system is busy with allergies, it is not working at the top of the heap to protect you against bacteria, viruses and cancer cells.