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Allergy
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More About Allergy
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Pollen Counts
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KY3
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Pollen.com
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The allergy section at St. John’s Clinic-Ear,
Nose & Throat diagnoses and treats patients with allergies problems. Our office has offered allergy testing and treatment to
our patients for more than 30 years. Staff includes board-certified
physicians and registered nurses trained in otolaryngic allergy.
Following an examination
with by an ENT physician, a patient may be referred to the allergy section
for evaluation and treatment. Inhalant allergy evaluations can be done in
our office with results given the day of testing, with specific results to
each allergen and the degree of sensitivity.
Skin endpoint titration is our testing technique used for determining
results for most patients, another technique we use to determine allergy is
with a simple blood test.
Allergy evaluation and
immunotherapy will include allergy injections for the allergic patient,
medical management, along with environmental control information to reduce
allergen exposure.
Medical management of
allergies would include the use of oral medications such as antihistamines,
leukotrienes inhibitors, and in severe cases oral steroids. Steroid nasal
sprays, antihistamine nasal sprays, or mast cell stabilizing nasal sprays
are used routinely. Eye drops for itchy, irritated eyes can be used and come
in several combinations to try.
Environmental control is
important because the amount of exposure to an allergen such as those listed
below will affect your symptoms.
Dust
Dust mite exposure can be reduced by using encasings for mattress, box
springs, and pillows, along with weekly washing of the bedding in hot water.
Pollen
If pollen is your problem, early morning outings should be limited. Wait
until afternoon when the pollen count is lower. Take a shower after being
outside, don’t hang clothes outside to dry, keep air conditioning on and
windows closed.
Mold
If mold is your problem, first check for any water leaks. Is there a damp
crawl space or basement? Do you garden or have plants indoors? Check the
drip pan under the refrigerator or window air conditioner.
Animals
Animal dander is another allergen that can be controlled. Is your pet in
the house, and does it sleep in your bedroom? Keeping your bedroom a safe
haven can help control symptoms because this is the room that you are in the
longest amount of time while sleeping. Air cleaners and furnace filters can
be of great help reducing allergens.
Immunotherapy treatment
Immunotherapy consists of a three to five-year plan. Taking allergy
injections by first building your dosage to a therapeutic level, and taking
on a regular basis, (i.e., weekly, bi-weekly, then every three weeks over a
period of three to five years).
Consider your quality of
life: do your allergies keep you from doing your daily activities? Are
there medications that you could try, or environmental issues that you could
change? If you still you have difficulty managing your allergies, see your
physician.
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