ALLERGY
Ear, Nose and Throat allergy is one of the most common disorders of adults and children seen in our practice. Allergies to inhalants, chemicals and foods most often present as an upper aero digestive track complaint. Allergy is one of the causes of chronic sinusitis and may present as persistent nasal congestion, repetitive sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, runny nose, post nasal drip, chronic cough, indigestion and headaches. Since the inception of our practice, we have dedicated ourselves to the diagnosis and treatment of the allergic patient. Our doctors, nurses and technicians have all received specialized training in this aspect of otolaryngology. Some of the allergy services provided to our patients are listed below.
TESTING
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In-vivo testing: Traditional allergy testing is done on the skin by either intradermal injections or prick testing. Serial Endpoint Titration (SET) is considered the most accurate form of this kind of testing and is the most essential part of the allergy work-up. |
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In-vitro testing: For those patients who are unable to undergo skin testing, a blood sample can be collected and sent to a specialized lab for an allergy determination. Although in-vitro testing is reported to be as accurate as SET testing, it does require a frozen blood sample to be shipped from the drawing location to the allergy lab which in some cases can affect the results of the test. For this reason, we like to limit in-vitro testing to young children and other special cases. |
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Food screening: For those patients who are suspected of having a food allergy, a battery of 72 food antigens can be screened. |
TREATMENT
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Drugs: Many patients can keep their allergies under control with the current over-the-counter and prescription medications. Antihistamines can relieve many allergy symptoms including runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, while decongestants are useful in relieving nasal congestion. Decongestants should be avoided in patients with hypertension and antihistamines are contraindicated in the presence of a sinus infection. Nasal steroids, such as Flonase, Nasonex, Nasacort and Rhinocort can relieve many allergy symptoms and have been shown to diminish the number of sinus infections in allergic patients if use regularly. There are now a number of eye drops available to relieve eye symptoms due to allergy. |
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Immunotherapy: Patients can be desensitized to the antigens they are allergic to by a series of injections or allergy shots. These are given on a regular basis until a maintenance level is reached. Therapy is usually continued for several years. Patients receiving immunotherapy can frequently decrease their reliance on other medications. |
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Sublingual Therapy: Patients receiving sublingual therapy administer their own vaccine by placing a drop of vaccine in the floor of their mouth. This therapy has become popular for those patients who find it inconvenient to come to the office for shots and for children and adults who have a fear of needles. |
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Counseling: All patients, regardless of the form of treatment recommended, receive allergy counseling. This includes instructions of how to use medications as well as specialized diets to eliminate offending foods. The goals of therapy are discussed and patients are encouraged to give us feedback on any problems they may be having during therapy as well as improvements they may be experiencing. |