If you experience allergies, whether to pet dander or northern pasture grasses, you’re probably all too familiar with the uncomfortable symptoms that often accompany exposure. While there are medications on the market that provide short-term relief, they’re only a temporary fix. This is where allergy shots come in. 

Unlike traditional allergy treatments, such as congestants and corticosteroids, allergy immunotherapy doesn’t focus on the symptoms. Instead, it hones in on the allergy. Unfortunately, while effective, allergy shots can be pricey. Luckily, there are a few ways to manage treatment costs. 

What Are Allergy Shots?

Allergy shots are a type of allergy immunotherapy, a treatment designed to desensitize the body to specific allergens, such as pet dander, pollen, or northern pasture grasses. To understand how they achieve this, we need to have a baseline knowledge of allergies. 

Simply put, an allergy is a reaction in the body to a foreign substance called an allergen. While these allergens are usually harmless, your body produces antibodies that throw red flags anytime you encounter them. When your immune system raises the warning after you’re exposed, those antibodies communicate with specific cells that release chemicals, resulting in your allergic reaction. 

Your symptoms may vary, with some as minor as a runny nose and itchy eyes to those as severe as difficulty breathing and anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. While there are various medications that can help with these symptoms, such as decongestants or antihistamines, they only provide temporary relief. This is where allergy shots come in. 

Allergy shots work to reduce that reaction by decreasing the production of the “blocking” antibody that causes the reaction. Each shot delivers a small dose of the allergen to your body. Over time, the amount of the allergen in the dose increases, slowly working to desensitize your body through repeated exposure. 

For most people, the initial results begin to appear after the first year. Of course, everybody is different, so it can vary for each person. The best results usually appear in years two and three. 

Given that it takes a few years for the best results to appear, allergy immunotherapy requires a long-term time commitment. It’s not a quick fix, so if you’re looking for overnight results, AIT isn’t your best bet. 

How Much Do Allergy Shots Cost?

Allergy shots aren’t cheap. Most people pay anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000 for a year of allergy shots, although it can vary based on the individual. 

For example, suppose your copay is $20 and you need two shots per week, every week for the entire year. At $40 a week, you would pay a whopping $2,080 over the course of that year. If you needed more shots per week (some people need up to three per week) or have a higher copay, you would pay even more. 

Given these numbers, affording allergy shots can be a challenge for a lot of people. This is often particularly true for families with multiple kids with allergies, as the costs add up fast. 

• Tips for Budgeting for Allergy Shots
  Allergy shots can be an unfeasible option for many budgets, but luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that can help you manage the cost. From choosing an option with a payment plan to choosing a more affordable alternative, there are several ways to budget for allergy immunotherapy. 
  
  
  
• Look for Options With Payment Plans
  Some allergy immunotherapy providers offer payment plan options with their AIT programs. These payment plans, while the specifics vary, can make it much easier to budget for your treatment. With these plans, you can typically pay over time rather than all at once, ensuring you don’t have to come up with a significant amount of money to begin your treatment. 
  
  

• Take Advantage of Health Insurance Coverage
  If you have a health insurance policy, be sure to check what is included in your coverage. Many health insurance providers cover allergy immunotherapy, so you can save a considerable amount of money if you enlist the help of your policy. Of course, coverage can vary from one provider to the next, so check with your insurer to see what’s included.
  
  Additionally, you will likely still need to pay a percentage of your treatment costs based on factors specific to your insurance policy, like your deductible and copay. Comparatively, though, these numbers are often considerably more doable than the out-of-pocket costs without insurance. 
  
  

• Consider an Affordable Alternative
  While allergy shots are a highly effective treatment for various allergies, they’re not the only type of allergy immunotherapy. The second type, called sublingual immunotherapy, can be an excellent alternative if you have a tight budget. 

This type of immunotherapy, administered under the tongue via tablets or drops, is easy to administer at home. This eliminates the need for the copay on each visit to the doctor and the expensive shots. Of course, this option isn’t free, either. 

Most folks pay between $65 and $150 per month for sublingual allergy immunotherapy, which comes out to $780 to $1,800 per year. Compared to allergy shot costs, though, these numbers feel considerably more approachable. 

Choose an AIT Option That Fits Your Budget

While allergy shots can be expensive, there are a few ways to manage the cost and even an alternative that saves you the trip to the doctor and the injection. Ultimately, though, you should do what works best for you and your budget. 

Before you select an option, remember to consult with your doctor. They can help you select an allergy immunotherapy option that matches your specific needs based on your medical history.