We No Longer PracticecAllergy
OUR SERVICES
What are Allergies?
NOSE | THROAT | EYES | LUNGS | SKIN | STOMACH | INTESTINES
Allergies are a major cause of illness in the United States. As many as 50 million people—about one in five—have allergies. This includes millions of children. If you have an allergy, your immune system treats whatever you are allergic to as an invader and releases chemicals to defend against it. It is these chemicals released by the body that cause allergic symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Sometimes they are just annoying. Sometimes they are deadly.
Rarely, they can affect the whole body. Whenever you are exposed to something you are allergic to, your body will trigger an allergic response. That is why it’s important to know what you are allergic to and take steps to treat or avoid a reaction. The most common allergens float in the air, such as plant pollens from trees, grasses and weeds, dander from pets, and mold spores and dust mites. This type of allergy is called “rhinitis” because it affects the nose. The symptoms are sneezing, stuffy or runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Many of the patients we see also have sinus disease with our without allergy. A good allergy evaluation can distinguish both.
ALLERGIES
ASTHMA
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a disease that affects the airways in the lungs. If you have asthma, the lining in your airways are inflamed and swollen all the time. This makes your airways more likely to be bothered by allergens or other things such as smoke, stress, exercise or cold air. These “triggers” don’t bother most people, but they can cause symptoms if you have asthma. They also can cause an “asthma attack,” making your airways swell even more and blocking airflow into your lungs
WHO HAS ASTHMA AND WHY?
Asthma is very common, affecting more than 22 million people in the United States, including almost 7 million children. No one knows for sure why some people have asthma and others don’t. People who have family members with allergies or asthma are more likely to have asthma.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Many people do not know they have asthma, especially if their symptoms aren’t severe. But any asthma symptom is serious and can become deadly.
The most common asthma symptoms are:
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Coughing, especially at night, with exercise, or when laughing
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Trouble breathing
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A tight feeling in the chest
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Wheezing - a squeaky or whistling sound
Sometimes a cough that won’t go away is the only symptom. Asthma symptoms often happen at night and in the morning, but they can happen any time. They get worse when you are around your asthma triggers.
ASTHMA TREATMENTS:
Asthma treatment depends on your symptoms and how serious and frequent they are. One of the first steps in controlling your asthma is to avoid your asthma triggers, such as smoke, stress, exercise or cold air.
Frequently though, medications are necessary to both control and relieve patients’ symptoms. These types of medications include those that:
1. Provide for quick relief (e.g.-albuterol). Anyone with asthma should carry quick-relief medicine at all times in case of an asthma attack. These medicines help open the lungs’ airways. They also treat the noisy part of the disease—the coughing, wheezing and gasping for breath that can happen during an asthma attack.
2. Provide for long-term control (e.g.- inhaled corticosteroids or Singulair). Some people need this type of medicine to treat the quiet part of asthma—the inflammation that causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed and swollen.
This information has been provided by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
HIVES | ITCHING | SWELLING
What are Hives?
Urticaria, also known as hives, is an outbreak of swollen, pale red bumps or plaques (wheals) on the skin that appear suddenly — either as a result of the body’s adverse reaction to certain allergens, or for unknown reasons.
Hives usually cause itching, but may also burn or sting. They can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, lips, tongue, throat, or ears. Hives vary in size (from a pencil eraser to a dinner plate), and may join together to form larger areas known as plaques. They can last for hours, or up to one day before fading.
Angioedema is a form of hives, but the swelling occurs beneath the skin instead of on the surface. Angioedema is characterized by deep swelling around the eyes and lips and sometimes of the genitals, hands, and feet. It generally lasts longer than hives, but the swelling usually goes away in less than 24 hours.
Rarely, angioedema of the throat, tongue, or lungs can block the airways, causing difficulty breathing. This may become life threatening.
NEW TREATMENT FOR HIVES
We now have a new option for patients with chronic urticaria. If they have had symptoms for more than 3to 6 months we can give them Xolair injections after an evaluation. Xolair seems to be very effective in controlling the symptoms better than antihistamines but is not a cure.
Statistics are still the same. You only find a cause for urticaria in about 10 % of the patients. But going over the history with them and a few targeted test will improve the attitude of the patient. Be on the lookout for patients who might have mastocytosis or Erlers Danlos. A diagnosis of mastocytosis is confirmed by a bone marrow or skin biopsy. A subset of patients have Erlers Danlos Syndrome, have flushing, hives, and anaphylaxis. However, many of these patients respond to therapy for mast cell activation disorder (including H1 and H2 blockers).
When to see an Allergist?
Your Allergist may or may not be able to determine what causes your hives but we are experts in looking for causes. Only about 7 % of patients with hives, itching or swelling get a specific diagnosis. But we certainly can make you comfortable while we wait for the hives to disappear.Along the way we will check for allergy and other causes of hives.