Your insurance plan may require a referral or authorization. Insurance benefits vary and depend on the type of policy. Please check with your insurer for appropriate coverage. It is ultimately the patient-s responsibility to gather the necessary referral. Our staff can assist you with any questions that you may have regarding insurance referral or authorization.
Over-the-counter nasal saline sprays used several times during the day along with nasal saline irrigations are beneficial for nasal hygiene.
Nasal saline irrigations can be done anywhere from 3 times a week to twice daily for benefits in hydrating and clearing the nose of irritants and thick nasal secretions. You can purchase various preparations from the drugstore.
You should actively institute environmental controls for allergens. Staying well hydrated with water has a multitude of benefits as does staying healthy and getting plenty of rest.
Try to avoid contact with sick people as additional illnesses aggravate nasal and sinus problems.
Please take the medications as recommended by your doctor.
After your vital signs are taken, you will be asked to share a thorough medical history. Your physician will then determine which tests, if any, need to be performed to make an appropriate diagnosis. You may need any or all of these tests or procedures: allergy testing, pulmonary function studies, a CT scan of the sinuses and a chest x-ray.
After testing, you will have a consultation with the physician and other clinical staff for further discussion, education and to establish a treatment plan.
Hives can often be controlled effectively, if not cured. We help individuals with chronic hives to control their conditions through different strategic treatment plans that can include specialty medication, such as omalizumab (xolair), which is FDA approved for treating hives.
Children over the age of four can be tested in our allergy and asthma clinic. This is an especially helpful diagnostic tool for patients who suffer with allergic asthma, allergic bronchitis, allergic conjunctivitis, chronic cough, atopic dermatitis, insect allergy, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, urticaria (hives) and angioedema (swelling that affects deeper layers of the skin).
Untreated allergies can lead to a variety of secondary infections, like ear infections, sinus infections and other inflammatory problems that can include eczema, sinusitis and asthma. Moods are also affected by allergies. Anxiety and depression can be triggered from the lack of sleep and ongoing symptoms. It is important to seek treatment when symptoms are first noticed.
Allergy shots, or immunotherapy, consist of injections containing very dilute amounts of the allergens to which you have sensitivities. This “primes” your immune system and blocks the reactions that lead to allergy problems – nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy, irritated eyes, etc.
Over several months, you will receive injections containing increasing amounts of allergens to which you are sensitive. During this time, your symptoms will likely worsen, and you will need to stay on allergy medications. Once you begin to feel relief from your symptoms, we make that concentration of allergen you received the maintenance dose injection.
Allergic tendencies are often passed genetically from parents to children, although it can take months or years for an allergy to develop after initial exposure. Each child has a certain amount of exposure that must occur before an allergen causes a reaction. In most cases, seasonal allergies to pollen and grass usually don’t begin until a child is about 3 or 4. Most children’s allergies will respond to over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants and prescription nasal sprays. However, we see many kids who don’t improve until they are treated with allergy immunotherapy.
Yes! Many people are allergic to mold and don’t even realize it. If you have allergy symptoms year-round, or they get worse in damp weather, you might be allergic to mold. Mold allergies can flare all year long, causing sneezing, runny, stuffy nose, watery eyes or itchy eyes and throat, and cough. It can also worsen asthma symptoms. Immunotherapy is an effective option for long-term relief.
Allergy Testing & Treatment FAQ answer – Your allergy test appointment will take approximately 45-60 minutes. Once the test has been administered it takes about 15 minutes for positive results to appear.
The gold standard of allergy testing, the Skin Pick Test, is non-invasive and not painful. The testing device gently abrades the skin’s surface with the allergens being tested for, results develop in about 15 minutes. A positive test will appear as a raised, red bump on the skin, similar to a mosquito bite.
Yes, in addition to being 85% – 95% effective, allergen immunotherapy has been shown to prevent the development of allergic asthma.
