What Treatments Are Available for My Allergies?

Allergic reactions can come on suddenly and range from mild skin rash or stomach upset to dangerous shortness of breath. Fortunately, we can treat both symptoms and the root cause of allergies to make your life safer and more pleasant even if you do get exposed to an allergen.

SLENT has several locations, in Slidell, Hammond, and Mandeville, Louisiana. Each one is staffed with otolaryngology specialists who can order allergy testing for you. Based on the results, we design a course of immunotherapy treatment to help decrease your allergic reactions.

Allergic reactions

When your body recognizes a substance as a threat, it forces your immune system to react violently. You could experience any of the following:

• Stomach cramping and diarrhea
• Skin rashes or hives
• Sneezing and/or itchy eyes
• Swelling of the throat and airway

Since the cause of all of these symptoms is an immune response in overdrive, getting your body to chill out a little when faced with allergens can help give you relief. 

What are you allergic to?

You might be allergic to just one thing, or you could be allergic to many things. If you already have one type of allergy, you should be aware that you’re at a high risk of developing a new allergy to other things in the same allergen group:

Biological allergens

Animal dander, dust mite waste, and cockroaches can all cause allergic reactions.  

Organic plant allergens

Does going outside make your eyes itchy and your throat scratchy? Common plant allergies include pollens, saps, and resins.

Pharmaceutical allergens

Many common prescription medicines, such as penicillin, codeine, and sulfa drugs, can trigger an allergic reaction.

Food-based allergens

Food allergies can be abrupt and frightening in their intensity. Common culprits are milk, soy, wheat, nuts, shellfish, and eggs. 

Insect venom

If bites from mosquitoes get unusually large, red, and inflamed, bee and wasp stings could do even more damage.

Spores

Allergies to mold and fungi could tip you off to a serious health problem in your home. 

Common materials

Latex, certain metals, and cleaning chemicals can cause rashes and even blistering.

Allergy testing  

To figure out what you’re allergic to, our team conducts tests. Skin tests involve laying a grid on your back, pricking each square with a tiny needle coated with a possible allergen. The squares that react show your body’s immune response to the substance. A blood test can also be used to detect certain types of allergies. 

Allergy treatment

Avoiding things that give you a bad reaction is one method of treatment. Avoidance doesn’t always work, however. An elimination diet can help identify and eliminate foods that cause allergic responses, but there’s no guarantee against accidental exposure.

Over-the-counter or prescription medications can help treat your symptoms if you have a reaction, and an EpiPen® can save you from severe reactions involving a closing airway, but this is a reactive treatment for symptoms.   

At SLENT, we offer immunotherapy, either as allergy shots or oral sublingual treatment to help your body become more accustomed to allergens and reduce drastic immune responses. This can help you manage allergies more effectively long-term.

Ready to face your allergies head on? To get in touch with the experts at SLENT, call the office closest to you, or contact us online.