Allergy Specialist

What are allergies?

You experience an allergy when your immune system overreacts to a substance that is generally not harmful. The heightened response equals an allergy.

You may be familiar with seasonal allergies, characterized by sneezing, runny nose, and a cough in reaction to pollen, mold, and other pollutants. These symptoms can also arise in reaction to dust mites and pet dander. 

Sometimes, allergies can develop into or trigger asthma, a chronic lung disease that interferes with your ability to breathe. Both allergies and asthma affect your sinuses and airway. Symptoms of asthma can develop due to stress or infections, too. If you have allergic asthma, it’s only triggered when you’re exposed to a specific pollen or another allergen.

Allergies may also occur in reaction to certain foods or topical agents and manifest as hives, gastrointestinal issues, or eye irritation. Allergies can’t be cured, but are manageable with the right treatment.

What allergy testing is available?

Allergy testing seeks to identify the factors causing your particular allergy symptoms. The doctors at SLENT can evaluate your symptoms to identify your triggers and treat you appropriately. 

Proper allergy testing is important because without knowing the cause of your allergies, over-the-counter medicine or other treatments may not produce effective results. 

At SLENT, the practitioners offer blood and skin tests for allergy testing. A skin test involves introducing the surface of your skin to a known allergen to see if it causes redness or inflammation. With a blood test, the doctors send your sample to a lab, and you get your results in a few days.

How are allergies treated?

The doctors at SLENT work with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan for your allergies. Your plan may include:

Avoidance measures 

Once your triggers are identified, you can reduce or eliminate allergies by avoiding the triggers altogether. This may include showering and changing after being outside or staying away from certain animals.

Medications

The doctors may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medications to treat your symptoms so you find some relief.

Immunotherapy

If you fail to get enough relief from medications or prefer not to take them, you may benefit from allergy shots or sublingual immunotherapy.

You may also benefit from dietary changes, especially if any foods are found to contribute to your allergy symptoms. 

If you suffer from allergy symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact SLENT, or you can book an appointment using the online scheduler to receive a treatment plan and get relief.