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Fear the Needle? Replace Allergy Shots With Sublingual Immunotherapy

SLIT-Naturopathic-Allergy-Treatment-249x300Are you one of the many people in Arizona who suffer from spring allergies when desert vegetation and ornamental plants bloom and spread their irritating pollen? Are you looking for an Arizona allergy treatment that doesn’t involve getting a long course of injections at a doctor’s office? Consider sublingual immunotherapy, an effective allergy treatment that doesn’t require shots and is safe enough to self-administer at home.

Once upon a time, doctors all over the United States sent patients with severe allergies and respiratory disorders to vacation or live in Arizona. The dry desert air was clean and relatively free of allergens. Today not only do the state’s booming urban areas suffer from pollution, but the introduction of many non-native plants for landscaping and decoration has brought the same allergens to Arizona that people used to come here to escape. In fact, far from being a haven of relief, the Phoenix metro area is now one of the worst places for allergy sufferers to live.

Unfortunately, many people who could benefit from injection treatments for their allergies also suffer an aversion to needles. The time and expense of making regular visits to a physician doesn’t make the prospect of allergy shots any more attractive, and it can take a year or more for treatment by injection to build your body’s tolerance to allergens.

Sublingual (“under the tongue”) immunotherapy, or SLIT, requires nothing more than placing a few drops of allergy serum under your tongue. This area is very rich in blood vessels, so the serum is absorbed directly into sublingual capillaries, the tiniest blood vessels in your body.

Although SLIT allergy drops are taken several times per week, they are actually more convenient than shots, which must be given at a physician’s office. Once prescribed, sublingual allergy serum can be administered by patients themselves at home or wherever they may be traveling. Parents can give doses of the serum to very young children who need allergy treatment but who would not be good candidates for regular, repeated needle injections.

The unpleasant symptoms of allergies occur when the sufferer’s immune system overreacts to certain substances, such as specific pollens, molds or pet dander, causing sneezing, congestion, swelling, itching, teary eyes and even more severe symptoms such as asthma or eczema.

Like other naturopathic treatments, sublingual immunotherapy works with the body’s natural defenses to treat the underlying cause of the problem. SLIT allergy serums have a liquid saline base that contains a small amount of the target allergens – too little to trigger an allergic response, but enough to gradually desensitize the immune system.

In a relatively short time, SLIT retrains your immune system to stop overreacting to allergens, thus putting an end to your uncomfortable and annoying allergy symptoms. Although SLIT can be effective in as a little as a few weeks, the majority of patients experience significant relief in just 3 months – far sooner than the average for injection-based therapies for allergies.

Sublingual immunotherapy and other natural medicine allergy treatments are available from Scottsdale naturopath Paul Stallone, N.M.D. Dr. Stallone provides personalized alternative medicine care to clients of all ages and backgrounds, with an emphasis on wellness, prevention and treating the root cause of illness when it does occur.  Dr. Stallone offers everything from treatments for allergies and weight loss to complementary medicine for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Call the Arizona Integrative Medical Center today at to schedule your appointment with Dr. Stallone.

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