This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 20th, 2016 and is filed under Blog by AENT Associates
A significant proportion of the world’s population has to contend with allergies of one kind or another; some 50 million deal with them in the United States alone, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. For many allergy sufferers, the symptoms–from the leaking nose and eyes of hay fever to a food-allergy-induced breakout of hives–are annoying and disruptive. For those with more serious versions such as anaphylaxis, they can be life-threatening.
Fortunately, allergy relief is possible: A board-certified specialist rigorously trained in diagnosing and treating allergies–like the ones on our team here at Allergy & ENT Associates, fully certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology–can help you counter those pesky (and sometimes downright dangerous) symptoms.
Allergy 101
allergic reaction occurs when you experience an immune response to something–the “allergen”–which normally isn’t seriously harmful. Immune cells interpreting, say, a pollen grain as a threatening substance produce antibodies for it; the interaction between these antibodies and the allergen produce chemicals, such as histamines, which can promote allergic reactions.
Common triggers include pollen from trees, grasses, and other plants, dander from pets, foods, chemicals, and insect bites or stings. Genetic or environmental factors–often a combination thereof–may be ultimately responsible for allergies.
Allergy & Asthma
By aggravating airways, allergies can sometimes also set off asthma symptoms for people with that condition (which we treat here, too). In such cases, therefore, addressing an allergic response can help ward off asthma attacks as well. As this Mayo Clinic article details, a few kinds of treatments, including immunotherapeutic allergy shots, take aim at both allergies and asthma.
Allergy Tests & Treatments
A board-certified specialist, whom you may find directly or connect with via your primary-care doctor, can diagnose your specific allergies by studying your medical history and performing allergy tests. Depending on your age, health, and a whole slew of other factors, such a test might come in the form of a skin (or “scratch”) test–wherein your skin is exposed to several potential allergens–or a blood test. The allergist can identify any reactions you might have to the tested allergens and, in combination with a review of your medical background, diagnose an allergy and begin charting a course of treatment.
That treatment might take many different forms, including short-term ones aimed at relieving in-progress symptoms as well as long-range medications for controlling allergic responses.
Don’t let allergies derail your daily routine. Get in touch with us here at Allergy & ENT Associates, and let us acutely diagnose your particular allergy and develop a treatment plan specially catered to your situation.
