Do Allergy Shots Help With Treating Allergic Reactions To Bees Or Fire Ants?

— -- Question: Do allergy shots help with treating allergic reactions to bees or fire ants?

Answer: There are allergy shots. It's called immunotherapy and with insect venoms it's called venom immunotherapy. And these allergy shots are very effective at preventing allergic reactions to stings.

So someone who has had an allergic reaction really should tell their doctor. The doctor will try to determine if it's the kind of reaction that should be discussed with an allergy specialist for possible immunization. The allergist might discuss with you the chances of future reactions, how bad it might be and why it might be worth considering a program of immunization or allergy shots.

Venom immunotherapy, allergy shots with venoms, is almost 100 percent effective; actually 98 percent in totally eliminating the chance of a severe allergic reaction to a sting.

So this is a very worthwhile treatment. It's fairly easy, there's only a small chance of reactions to the shots and it can and does cure the allergy. It requires getting a shot every month or two for a few years but the immunity can be built up in just a few weeks and can be easily maintained and then you can stop the shots after a few years with almost no chance of future reaction to a sting.

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