ALLERGY SHOTS: SIDE EFFECTS OF IMMUNOTHERAPY
ALLERGY SHOTS: SIDE EFFECTS OF IMMUNOTHERAPYThere are five possible side effects to an allergy shot: 1. A small area of redness (smaller than the size of a quarter), swelling, and itching at the site of injection that begins within a few minutes of your receiving the injection and that goes away within 1 to 2 hours.2. A larger reaction (larger than a quarter but smaller than a silver dollar in size), swelling, and itching at the site of injection, beginning a few minutes after the injection and clearing in 1 to 2 hours.3. A very large area of swelling (inches of swelling), redness, and itching that begins some 4 to 6 hours after a shot, lasts a number of hours, then gradually resolves itself over 24 to 48 hours.4. A mild generalized reaction that begins within 30 minutes of receiving an injection and consists of generalized itching, hives, and some coughing and mild wheezing.5. A severe, life-threatening reaction; this typically begins within 20 to 30 minutes after an injection, and takes the form of severe shock.The very mild reactions are common, large local reactions are less common, very large local reactions even less common, generalized mild reactions are uncommon, and the life threatening reactions are very, very rare. A recent study of deaths from allergy skin testing or allergy immunotherapy shots revealed 46 deaths since 1945. Considering the millions of such injections given each year – some say as many as 10 million each year – such a catastrophe is rare indeed. In fact, the chances of your dying from an allergy injection are 30 times less than those of dying from being struck by lightening, 2,000 times less than dying from the effects of smoking or passively smoking cigarettes, and 16,000 times less than dying in an automobile accident. I mention this because sometimes one hears scare messages about immunotherapy, implying that it carries a high risk of life-threatening reaction. Such messages are in fact, unfounded, providing the physician knows and understands what he or she is doing. Again, you should be absolutely certain that the physician in charge of your immunotherapy is properly trained and experienced in the safe and effective administration of this therapy.*56/322/5*
