If you started an immunotherapy regimen earlier this year, you’re probably feeling excited about the progress you’ve made. Perhaps you’ve already made it to the maintenance phase, and maybe you’ve already noticed a significant change in your allergy symptoms. This can be a great feeling in the spring and summer when allergy symptoms are at their highest, but it can be hard to keep that momentum going in the months when allergies aren’t as prominent.
How to Keep Going
We know it can be difficult to make time for a drive to the clinic or remember to take your oral drop. If you begin to feel unmotivated in between allergy seasons, here are some things that might help.
Remember that You’ll Have to Start All Over
One way to stay on the bandwagon is to remind yourself that stopping means starting over again next year. If you stop immunotherapy, you will lose all your progress. And for many, allergy symptoms worsen immediately after stopping.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Associating your immunotherapy with a positive experience or treat is a great way to motivate yourself to keep going. Perhaps you get to pick up a pastry from Sewell Sweets on your way back from the clinic, or you go for a quick walk outside right after taking your allergy drops for a quick dopamine boost. Your body will associate the shot or drop with the boost, which can help towards completing the task.
Make it Routine
Putting something into a concrete routine makes it easier for us to accomplish it. If you take allergy drops, make it a part of an existing daily routine, such as taking them with breakfast or when you’re getting ready for bed. These already existing routines will make it easy to remember to take your drops daily.
If you get allergy shots, put your appointments in your calendar and set reminders. If it’s already written down on the calendar, you’re more likely to follow through.
Maintaining Immunotherapy for Kids
If your child is undergoing immunotherapy, they may have an even harder time keeping up with their progress over the fall months, especially once their schedules change as they head back to school. The strategies above are also effective with kids, and encouraging them about how much it will benefit them over time can help build up their ability to relate daily consistency with long-term benefits.
Allergies in children tend to worsen as they get older, so starting immunotherapy now will help prevent worsening symptoms in the future. If you have any questions about immunotherapy or need help with keeping your plan on track, don’t hesitate to speak with us about it. At Willamette ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery we partner with you. Allergy management journeys are different for everyone, and we develop treatment plans that fit our patients’ busy lives.
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