How long does allergen immunotherapy take?

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT), also known as desensitisation, retrains the immune system to build a tolerance to the allergens responsible for the allergy. Once the tolerance is built, the symptoms experienced each time the patient is exposed to the allergens in the environment begin to decline. These improvements to the symptoms may continue to be felt even once the patient is no longer taking AIT.

Retraining the immune system may require several years (usually 3 to 5 years or seasons) of immunotherapy. Respecting the treatment duration is needed to achieve lasting relief from your allergy symptoms. AIT is the only treatment capable of inducing tolerance to allergens.