HighlandAllergy & Asthma Experts Serving Griffith, Indiana
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(219) 513-8923Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
An allergist/immunologist (commonly referred to as an allergist) is a physician specially trained to diagnose, treat and manage allergies, asthma and immune deficiencies, including primary and secondary immunodeficiency disorders. After completing medical school and graduating with a medical degree, physicians undergo three years of training in internal medicine or pediatrics and pass the exam of either the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) or the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). So as an allergist, they have trained for a minimum of nine additional years post college with a special focus on allergies. Learn more here.
The purpose of your immune system is to help your body fight off attacks by viruses, bacteria, fungi. However, sometimes the immune system recognizes harmless substances as foreign substances and effectively as intruders to your body. Hence, the immune system responds with a heightened sensitivity resulting in reactions to those foreign substances or “intruders”. The result of that heightened sensitivity is what we know as allergies.These substances include pollens (trees, grasses and weeds), mold spores, animal dander and saliva (cats and dogs), dust mites, cockroaches, foods, and medications. Individuals who suffer from allergies often experience specific symptoms triggered as your immune system reacts to those harmless substances. Depending on the severity of the allergic reaction, the symptoms can be relatively tolerable or excruciatingly unbearable.
Common triggers of allergy symptoms include pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds, mold spores, dust mites, and animal dander and saliva, cockroaches, food, and medication. Allergy Skin Testing is done to detect allergic sensitivity to these allergens. Some people are allergic to foods and stinging insect venoms, but these allergens don’t usually cause nasal symptoms.
Allergies can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race or socioeconomic status. While it’s true that allergies are more common in children, they can occur for the first time at any age or, in some cases, recur after many years of remission. Although the exact genetic factors are not yet understood, the tendency to allergies, as well as to allergic disease, is linked to heredity.
At Allergy & Asthma Specialists, we do a thorough health history and physical examination. In conjunction, we use allergic diagnostic tests to help identify allergens (allergy-causing substances) by performing RAST blood test and allergy skin tests.
Skin testing for allergies offers immediate results which are clearly visible on the skin within minutes. Blood tests for allergies, often called RAST or ImmunoCap RAST, provide only the level of antibody to a given allergen in someone’s blood, which may or may not translate to real symptoms. It is generally reserved for patients unable to stop antihistamines or patients who cannot be skin tested.
During the test, a small amount of allergy-causing substances called allergens are placed on your skin and then observed for signs of an allergic reaction. There is minimal pain during this procedure so do not let that deter you for getting this valuable test.
Yes. Up to 90% of asthma in children has an allergic component. By middle age, other factors including smoke, pollution and chemicals, start to significantly affect someone’s ability to breathe.
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease in which your airways narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.
Although the cause of asthma is still not yet known, scientists have established that the disease is a special type of inflammation of the airway that leads to contraction of airway muscle, mucus production and swelling in the airways. The airways become overly responsive to environmental changes. The result is wheezing and coughing.
At Allergy & Asthma Specialists, we first begin performing a detailed history and physical examination and testing to rule out any other conditions that may mimic asthma symptoms, including respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To diagnose asthma and distinguish it from other lung disorders, our specialists use a combination of medical history, a thorough physical examination, and certain laboratory tests. These tests include spirometry (using an instrument that measures the air taken into and out of the lungs), peak flow monitoring (another measure of lung function), chest X-rays and sometimes blood and allergy tests.
While there is no known cure for asthma yet, there are ways to get asthma under control with proper treatment. Make an appointment to come see us at Allergy & Asthma Specialists to gain relief from symptoms, identify and possibly avoid triggers, manage episodes.
Avoiding/removing environmental factors that aggravate your allergies can make a big impact on your health. When this alone does not put a stop to your symptoms, we can proven successful at managing symptoms by tailoring a customized plan specifically for you to improve your quality of life. Our treatments plans can include a variety of items including, medications, allergy shots, and giving you the knowledge and tools to help you manage your allergies. Allergen desensitization through immunotherapy (allergy shots) or cluster immunotherapy, a faster version on immunotherapy, can greatly reduce the symptoms of allergic asthma. Recently, several new medications, known collectively as “biologics,” have been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma. Biologic Therapy is used for patients who continue to have symptoms despite use of standard daily controller medications.
Allergen immunotherapy is also known as allergy shots. Allergy shots are injections you receive at regular intervals over a period of time to help your body develop an immunity to the allergen that’s causing you grief.
Like allergen immunotherapy, cluster immunotherapy (CIT) can provide long-lasting, rapid allergy relief through the progressive treatments which build immunity to an allergen through increasing doses of the substance that triggers the symptoms. The main difference between the two treatment types is that cluster immunotherapy is an accelerated initial shot schedule that shortens the build-up phase, allowing patients to reach their maximum maintenance dose in a mere 6 weeks!
The needle used in allergy shots is smaller than those used for most childhood vaccinations (less painful). Most patients tolerate skin testing and allergy shots very well.
Allergy shots are the most effective treatment for sinus allergies, eye allergies, allergic asthma and stinging insect allergies. Shots are the only form of treatment that can actually reverse the allergic process, essentially “fixing” most of someone’s allergies, rather than just temporarily treating the symptoms with medication. Without allergy shots, it is unlikely patients will “outgrow” their allergies.
“Sinus” and “Allergy” are often used interchangeably to describe chronic allergic rhinitis. Symptoms include sinus congestion, sneezing, itchy nose, and post nasal drip.
Thank you for choosing Allergy & Asthma Specialists. Please see our guide for your first visit.
At Allergy & Asthma Specialists, our specialists see both adults and kids.
“Rhinitis” is a descriptive term meaning “inflammation of the nose.” Allergic patients have sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, as well as itchy, red, and watery eyes. The immune system of these patients is over‐reacting to airborne allergens.
Allergic patients often have inflammation of the eyes, causing itchy, red, watery eyes. Rubbing the eyes will only aggravate symptoms. Artificial tears will lubricate, cleanse, and may soothe inflamed eyes, but antihistamine eye drops will help the itching.
Microscopic particles (allergens) are inhaled into the nose and bind to allergic antibodies that are attached to the surface of mast cells. Mast cells contain histamine, which, when released into the nasal tissue, causes the characteristic symptoms of allergic rhinitis.
Common sense tells us that avoidance is the best way to reduce or even eliminate symptoms. Keeping a dust‐ free home and pets outdoors is a great start! Although molds are tough, they should also be eliminated wherever possible. Of course, pollens are also very difficult to avoid. Medications and allergy injections may be helpful when allergens cannot be fully avoided. Call us today at 219-513-8923 to set up an appointment.
Oral immunotherapy (OIT) refers to a medically supervised feeding of an increasing amount of an allergen with the goal of increasing the threshold that triggers a reaction in our office.
Peanut OIT consists of a patient ingesting small, increasing amounts of peanut over a 6-9 month period under close supervision of allergy professionals. Over time, the patient’s immune system becomes desensitized to peanut allergen and therefore able to tolerate accidental exposure to peanuts.
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