Allergen immunotherapy (hyposensitisation) has been around for decades and is still the only "causal" treatment for allergic rhinitis. The body is exposed to the triggering allergen at regular intervals to develop tolerance. This not only relieves the symptoms (often significantly) but also significantly reduces the risk of the allergy worsening. Immunotherapy is available for the major inhaled allergens (most allergenic pollen types, house dust mites, etc.) and insect venoms.
The therapy can only be started by the treating doctor.
Duration
Immunotherapy can be given subcutaneously (injection under the skin) or sublingually (tablets/drops under the tongue). The manufacturer will specify the administration schedule. In general, sublingual therapies must be taken daily, and subcutaneous therapies must be injected on weekly for a set period. In any case, treatment should be started at least eight weeks before the period of allergenic burden begins.
Therapy lasts 3—5 years and should be continued throughout this period as otherwise, the effectiveness is significantly reduced.