Allergy Treatment Options
Our team is well equipped to provide you the best treatment
Allergies usually are not life-threatening, however, symptoms can be disruptive to work and school routines and can detract from the quality of life. Food allergies frequently require detailed attention, especially if the food is common or it is a common ingredient in other foods.
Treatment generally falls into one of three categories: environmental elimination, suppression with medication, and allergy shots. Our team has found incorporating multiple approaches is usually the most successful in managing symptoms.
Elimination
This means avoiding the substance that is causing your symptoms. If you are allergic to certain foods, you will want to read labels, be aware of how foods are prepared at restaurants, or alert a host of a dinner party of your allergy. For allergies to such substances as dust, pollen or mold, avoidance can be a challenge, but you can lessen your reaction by taking a few precautions.
- Stay indoors when pollen counts are high
- Keep windows closed and change furnace and air conditioner filters regularly
- Have your basement and attic checked for mold and mildew
- Use cotton or synthetic materials for bedding rather than feathers and wool
- Stay away from animals that produce dander
- Use nasal saline washes
Suppression
Medication in the form of antihistamines and decongestants are the most common method for controlling allergy symptoms. We work with you to identify oral antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays that bring relief from your symptoms without causing drowsiness and interfering with work, school, and other routines.
Allergy Shots
Also called immunotherapy, the goal of allergy shot treatment is to create less sensitivity to the allergens that are bothering you. Shots containing small amounts of the substances you are allergic to are administered weekly, then in gradually longer intervals to allow your body to learn to fight the allergen. The program is generally a one- to two-year commitment in which your symptoms will become less severe over time.
Is it allergies or a cold?
It can be hard to tell the difference. And while many believe the color of the mucus indicates one or the other, this is not always true. So should you take cold medicine for that stuffy nose? Consider the following when trying to determine if you need to talk to an allergy doctor about treatment.
If your stuffy nose is accompanied by:
- Itchy eyes, wheezing, a skin rash – allergies
- Fatigue, fever, body aches – common cold
- You always have a “cold” in the spring and summer – allergies
- Symptoms persist beyond several days – allergies