If you have allergies, you are probably all too familiar with the outward manifestations – itchy eyes, a runny or congested nose, eczema, hives, asthma and more. But what you may not be familiar with is what is happening inside your body. It is, in fact, an all-out war. Arizona based Allergist clinic is here to help.

One one side of this war are your white blood cells. On the other side are antigens including dusts, molds, and pollens. If you’re not allergy-prone, your body sees these antigens for what they are – harmless elements drifting through the air. If you have allergies, however, your body mistakenly perceives them as foreign invaders. Your white blood cells fight back by releasing bursts of chemicals. They are intended to defend the body, but the strategy backfires. The chemicals trigger the allergy symptoms that make you miserable.

With some outside help, however, you can change the course of the battle and overcome allergies. One of the most effective treatments is known as desensitization. With desensitization, you can actually re-train your body to stop overreacting in ways that trigger allergies, kids allergies and other allergy symptoms.

This is done by introducing your body to extracts of the antigens to which it is allergic. These extracts are mixed into a saline solution and can be administered through shots or as under-the-tongue drops. Over time, your physician will increase the amount of the antigens in the serum so that your body becomes more and more familiar with them. Ultimately, your body will make peace with those antigens, and your symptoms will dissipate.

Allergy Doctor, Dr. Stuart Agren, director of the Family Allergy Clinic in Mesa, Arizona, has found that desensitization is superior to over-the-counter medications.

"A lot of people use allergy medications for a quick-fix, but desensitization is really the key if you want to overcome allergies for good," said Dr. Agren.

Dr. Agren has treated thousands of allergy-sufferers through desensitization using under-the-tongue allergy drops that patients can take in the comfort of home. Not only are the drops convenient, they also work quickly; the vast majority of patients experience symptom relief in several weeks.

According to Dr. Agren, desensitization can have a life-changing effect for many people.

"A lot of the new patients who come to my office have forgotten how normal people live," said Dr. Agren. "Whether our clients prefer non-allergy shot based treatment or our allergy desensitization program, they often tell me that they’re finally getting back the quality of life they had given up on."

Family Allergy Clinic can be seen online at familyallergyclinic.com, or reached by calling 1-877-2SNEEZE.