Treating Your Allergies at Advanced Specialty Care
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Treating Your Allergies
Allergy Treatment for the Eyes, Nose, Sinuses and Lungs (Asthma)
Allergy Treatment for the Eyes, Nose, Sinuses and Lungs (Asthma)Allergy and Asthma are increasing yearly and already affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Allergies have been shown to have a significant impact on quality of life, as well as productivity at school and work.
Treatment Options
- Avoidance: Allergy testing can help clarify those allergy triggers to which you are most sensitive. Minimizing exposure to those allergens is a cornerstone of successful allergy treatment. However, avoidance of all allergic triggers is not always achieveable.
- Medication: Allergy/asthma medications can include nose sprays. tablets, eyedrops as well as asthma inhalers, which hopefully will provide significant benefit. However, these medications do not resolve the underlying medical issue–i.e. they do not make you less allergic. The benefit of medication stops once one is no longer taking the medication.
- Immunotherapy:
- Allergy Shots (Subcutaneous Immunotherapy or SCIT): A series of tiny allergy injections containing increasing doses of your most important allergy triggers, such as dust mite. cat/dog allergen. pollen or mold. This leads to tolerance that decreases the underlying inflammation, which is the cause of your symptoms. Multiple allergens, such as dust mite. cat and dog. are usually mixed together to minimize the number of injections needed. Allergy shots are supervised in the Allergist’s office. As a precaution, patients must remain in the office for 30 minutes after allergy shot administration, to monitor for the unlikely event of an adverse reaction. Treatment consists of the initial “build-up” phase during which the dose is gradually increased, followed by the “maintenance” phase when the top dose is repeated. To build a “lasting immunity” treatment is usually continued for 3-5 years. Allergy shots are covered by most insurance (check with your insurance carrier or our front desk staff for coverage information).
- Allergy Drops (Sublingual Immunotherapy or SLIT): SLIT is a home-based therapy applied under the tongue. Allergy drops containing your most important allergy triggers, such as dust mite, cat/dog, pollen, or mold are prepared by your allergist. The first dose is administered in the Allergy office. Subsequent doses are administered at home. Office visits to monitor progress and provide fresh drops (allergy extract) occur every 3 months. Treatment consists of the initial “build-up” phase during which the dose is gradually increased, followed by the “maintenance” phase when the patient takes the same dose of drops each day. To build a “lasting immunity,” treatment is usually continued for 3-5 years. Allergy drops are an “off-label” use of an FDA-approved product and is generally not covered by insurance.
Allergy Testing at Advanced Specialty Care (Skin & Oral Challenges)
***Please notify your allergist of all medications and/or supplements you are currently taking. Some medications, such as antihistamines, will need to be held for one week prior to allergy testing.
Types of allergy tests:
- Skin Prick Test (SPT):
Small drops of allergen placed on the surface of the skin (performed on the upper back), then lighted scratched allowing that substance to enter the body. You may develop an itchy red bump, known as a wheal, at that area within about 15 minutes - Intradermal Skin Test (ID):
Similar to the SPT, however the allergen is injected under the skin instead of being placed on the surface. ID testing is commonly used once a SPT has not caused a reaction. This test is performed on the upper portion of the arms and like the SPT you may develop an itchy red bump within about 10 minutes.
- Oral Food Challenge (OFC)
Often used to confirm the results of skin test and/or clear food allergies. The test involves ingesting a small amount of allergen to watch for signs and symptoms of reaction. If no adverse symptoms arise, you will be given increasing amounts of the allergen and observed for a set amount of time.- OFC – What To Bring
- Please bring in the food item being tested as well as a vehicle to mix it in
and/or aid in its consumption, such as pudding, yogurt, or applesauce. - Plan to be in the office for at least 3 hours. We recommend you bring something to occupy your time, e.g. quiet activities such as books, coloring, puzzles, etc.
- Please bring in the food item being tested as well as a vehicle to mix it in
- OFC – What To Bring
Antihistamines and certain other medications interfere with the accuracy of allergy skin testing.
The following is a list of common antihistamines. In addition, many cold/sinus preparations and eye drops contain antihistamines.
Some herbs, plants and supplements (including naturopathic/homeopathic) may also decrease the accuracy of allergy skin testing, and therefore all such products should be withheld for one week prior to testing.
Examples of Antihistamines / Do not take for this number of days before test date:
- Zyrtec (Cetirizine) / 6 days
- Xyzal (Levocetirizine) / 6 days
- Clarinex (Desloratidine) / 7 days
- Claritin/Claritin-D, Alavert (Loratadine) / 5 days
- Allegra (Fexofenadine) / 4 days
- Most older antihistamines / 3 days:
- Benadryl (Diphenhydramine), Actifed, Allerest, Nyquil, Chlor-Trimeton, Triaminic, Dimetapp, Drixoral, Tavist, etc.
- Medications ending in “PM” / 3 days:
- Tylenol PM, Advil PM, Motrin PM
- Mucinex Allergy / 4 days
- Thera-Flu (Pheniramine), Ny-Quil / 3 days
- Periactin (Cyproheptadine) / 4 days
- Atarax (Hydroxyzine) / 6 days
- Astelin Nasal Spray (Azelastine), Astepro, Dymista / 5 days
- Patanase / 4 days
* IMPORTANT: Do not stop any meedication with a * without consulting the prescribing physician.
- *Tricyclic Antidepressants / *6 days:
- *Elavil (Amitriptyline), *Pamelor (Nortriptyline) , *Tofranil (Imipramine) , *Sinequan (Doxepin), *Desipramine
- Meclizine (Antivert, Bonine, Dramamine) / 4 days
- *Remeron (Mirtazapine) / *8 days
- *Abilify (Aripiprazole) / *8 days
- *Seroquel (Quetiapine) / *7 days
- Midol / 3 days
- Topical Doxepin cream / 13 days
- Optivar and Elestat Ophthalmic Solution / 4 days
- All other allergy eye drops
- Patanol, Pataday, Bepreve, Opcon A, Naphcon-A, Zaditor / 3 days
- Patanol, Pataday, Bepreve, Opcon A, Naphcon-A, Zaditor / 3 days
IF you are experiencing hives or other allergy symptoms that will make you uncomfortable
when antihistamines are withheld, DO NOT STOP your medication prior to the doctor’s office
visit.
