For the majority of severe allergy sufferers, avoidance of the specific allergens that trigger their reactions and being prepared to treat those that occur with an immediate shot of epinephrine are the only options. Some people allergic to food, insect stings, or medications may outgrow or spontaneously become tolerant to their allergens. For others, immunotherapy can offer a cure.
For example, patients allergic to insect stings may attain long-term tolerance to insect venom through immunotherapy, a process during which carefully calibrated injections of venom are administered over a long period in order to change their immune systems so that they no longer react to the insect venom protein.
Immunotherapy, or a regimen of "allergy shots," is a treatment designed to alter patients' immune system responses to substances they are allergic to by exposing them to small amounts of the allergen and gradually increasing the exposure over a long period of time. Immunotherapy is the closest thing to a "cure" for non-life-threatening perennial and seasonal allergies (mold, pollen, dust mites, animal dander, or grasses) and asthma. It is not effective for most severe allergies that can produce anaphylaxis. One notable exception is for patients with insect sting allergies.
To learn more about the immunotherapy option, follow the link below.
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