Sick of Springtime Allergies? Allergy Testing Pinpoints Problems So You Can Get Relief

Springtime allergies, more formally known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, can make what should be one of the nicest seasons of the year a horrible trial to endure. Constant itchy eyes, a scratchy throat, and alternating congestion and running of your sinuses can be annoying at best,

Worse, they can keep you feeling like you’re trapped inside for weeks on end, or even cause a life-threatening reaction.

At SLENT, with locations in Mandeville, Slidell, and Hammond, Louisiana, our otolaryngology specialists can help identify exactly what causes your allergy symptoms. Once we know what’s bothering you, we provide treatment that works, taking you from streaming eyes and sniffles to actually enjoying the beauty of springtime. 

Seasonal allergies

Seasonal allergies change with your location, as well as humidity, wind direction, and what’s in bloom outdoors. In the winter, you can find yourself struggling with dust and other indoor allergens, like pet dander, aggravated by the drying action of heating systems.

In the spring, your issues are more likely to come from blooming flora spewing pollen into the air. If you’re allergic to one sort of plant, it’s very likely you’re allergic to more than one — even whole families. Common villains in the cast of springtime allergens include:

• Grasses like Bermuda, Johnson, Kentucky, orchard, and rye
• Trees like alder, aspen, ash, beech, and birch

Weeds like ragweed, sagebrush, Russian thistle, and mugwort tend to bloom in the late summer and early fall, so allergies later in the year may be due to the proliferation of these plants.

How to pinpoint springtime allergies

We identify the causes of your allergies by placing microscopic doses of many different types of allergens in contact with your skin and blood. We put the allergens in a grid of squares (usually on your upper back), and number them. 

Each square gets a dose of a different allergen. The squares that show an allergic reaction (redness, swelling, bumps, or hives) can be matched to the allergen used and added to your list of allergy triggers.

Treating springtime allergies

Once we know what’s causing your seasonal pollen allergies, we can effectively combat your symptoms. In some cases, antihistamine treatment or low dose oral steroids may help kick your symptoms to the curb, especially if there’s a relatively short blooming season for your specific allergen producers.

If you’re suffering significantly from one allergen in particular, we may use allergy shots or sublingual immunotherapy to raise your resistance. This has been shown to be particularly helpful when you have both pollen and food allergies to plants with similar proteins. 

For example, the protein in birch tree pollen is very similar to proteins found in apples, pears, many stone fruits, a variety of nuts, and even carrots and celery. Decreasing sensitivity to one allergy can decrease sensitivity to similar ones.

If you’d like to trade your seasonal allergy issues for something beside tissues, allergy testing is a great place to start. You can schedule an allergist consultation at SLENT by calling 985-327-5905, or visit the contact page for more options.