Allergy Treatment
Step 1: Consultation
Your first step is to see a
board-certified allergist-immunologist. You may be sent by your primary care
physician, or find an allergist certified
by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in your area.
Step
2: Testing
Your allergist will obtain a
detailed medical history, examine you and evaluate your symptoms. Skin tests or
allergy blood tests may be needed to find out the causes of your allergic
symptoms. Based on the entire clinical evaluation, a diagnosis is made.
Step
3: Treatment
This is the step where your
allergic symptoms and you get better. Allergy treatments are of three types:
Prevention. Medication. Immunotherapy.
Prevention:
Once identified, the cause of the symptoms may be avoided or removed from your
life. For example, a particular food can be avoided, or a pet can be removed
from the home or kept away from sleeping areas.
Some causes of allergic symptoms,
such as pollen, molds and dust mites, cannot be completely eliminated and are
difficult to avoid. Exposure can be reduced, however, by environmental control
measures prescribed by your allergist.
Medication:
Although prevention comes first, more may be needed. Medications are usually
used to decrease allergy symptoms and improve the patient's quality of life.
Improvements in drugs have eliminated most of the side effects from older
drugs.
Immunotherapy
("allergy shots"): If a specific allergy is identified
and it cannot be avoided or medications are not sufficient to restore your
health, the allergic symptoms may be controlled or eliminated with allergy
shots.
Allergy shots have been used
since 1911. The treatment is a method for increasing the allergic patient's
natural resistance (tolerance) to the things that are triggering the allergic
reactions.
This treatment involves
injections of small amounts of purified "extracts" of the substances
that are causing allergic reactions. For example, the extracts may be derived
from pollens, mold spores, animal dander, dust mites or insect venom.
Allergy shots stimulate the
immune system to fight allergies safely, effectively and naturally. Beginning
with small doses and increasing them gradually on a weekly or biweekly basis,
the therapy continues until a maintenance level is achieved. Then, a
maintenance dose is injected every few weeks.
