If your allergies are interfering with your life and your normal allergy treatments aren’t working anymore, it’s time to see an allergy doctor. An allergist specializes in diagnosing and treating allergies of all kinds – including those that affect the nose, lungs, and skin – so that you can continue living your life unbothered by your symptoms.
It helps to be prepared for your visit to the allergy doctor so that you don’t forget anything. Let’s talk about a few important questions you should ask the doctor, and where you can go in Parker County and North Texas for allergy testing and treatment that will help you tamp down those allergies once and for all.
1. What Are My Allergy Triggers?
Allergy testing is necessary to fully determine your precise allergy triggers. The process of finding out what you are allergic to is comprehensive, especially since being allergic to one thing usually increases your risk of being allergic to another. The allergy doctor will use the information you provide and the results of your allergy testing to develop a personalized treatment plan for you.
2. What Are My Treatment Options?
If you have asthma, your treatment options may include a combination of short-acting and long-acting drugs, which will likely include an inhaler. If you have hay fever, decongestants or corticosteroids may be recommended. If you have skin allergies, topical treatments and antihistamine medication may help ease your symptoms.
Treatment for a food allergy may involve the use of an epinephrine autoinjector shot, also called an EpiPen. You will be recommended to give yourself the shot if you have an extreme allergic reaction, even injecting through clothing, in order to prevent a life-threatening reaction.
Allergy treatment almost always involves an avoidance strategy – doing your best to avoid exposure to dust, pollen, mold, pet dander, cigarette smoke, harsh cleaning chemicals, polyester, certain foods, etc. – to prevent a reaction.
3. What If Avoidance Isn’t Always Possible?
Many allergy patients are interested in immunotherapy. This involves gradually reducing the severity of allergic reactions to an allergen by administering shots or through taking sublingual drops (liquid drops under the tongue), thereby exposing you to small amounts of the allergen until you become desensitized to it. This doesn’t always work, but it does work for many people.
If your life is severely impacted or limited by allergies, ask your doctor about immunotherapy.
Allergy and Immunology Doctor in North Texas
For comprehensive, individualized treatment for your allergies, trust our allergy and immunology doctors at the Lung & Sleep Specialists of North Texas. Our treatment plans can help you to not only breathe better but also sleep better. We can help you effectively control your allergy so that you prevent severe reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis.
To make an appointment with one of our allergy specialists, call our clinic today at (817) 594-9993 or fill out our convenient appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you take control of your allergies!
