Managing chronic problems such as heart disease or diabetes may be expensive compared to managing allergies. However, factors such as lack of insurance to pay bills and buying over-the-counter medications regularly can make allergies very costly to manage.
How Managing Allergies became Costlier?
After 2001, powerful allergy medications such as Claritin, Allergra, and Zyrtec were given over-the-counter status. This meant that these drugs could be bought without a prescription and the cost of these drugs was also lower. However, as these drugs were given over-the-counter status, insurance companies were not obliged to pay for these drugs. This made allergy management costlier for people with health insurance.
How to Effectively Manage the Cost of Allergies?
Getting diagnosed for allergies and preventing the allergens is very effective to manage the cost of allergies. If you are uncertain about the kind of allergy you have, it can cost you more. For example, it can cost you a visit to the Emergency Room if you have a severe allergic reaction. Productivity losses at the office due to undiagnosed allergy can also make you spend more money. Knowing your allergies and preventing them will make you spend lesser money on allergy management.
Immunotherapy is another option to manage the cost of allergies. In immunotherapy, injections containing the allergens are injected for about 2 to 5 years. This will make the immune system used to the allergen and decrease your sensitivity to the allergen. According to studies, taking immunotherapy would save you 15% of money in the second year, and about 50% in the third year. The net savings would be about $800 a year.
Managing allergies can be costly, but proper diagnosis and prevention of allergens can be helpful. Also, taking allergy shots or immunotherapy can help you to manage the cost of allergies.
