Can Food Allergies Be Treated?

Like any other allergy, a food allergy develops when your body's immune system mistakes an innocuous material for a harmful invader. Your immune system builds antibodies against that material, which leads to the allergy symptoms you may experience. Unlike many allergies, food allergies are one group that has the potential to be dangerous; allergies to foods such as nuts can lead to anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if not treated immediately. For most people, living with food allergies means totally avoiding the food that triggers the reaction; peanut allergy sufferers cannot eat any products that contain peanuts, for example. But can food allergies be treated? Like most allergies, it depends on the severity of the allergy and method of treatment. Remember to consult your doctor (or your child's pediatric allergy doctor, if your child is the one with allergies) before attempting to treat any allergy.

For mild allergies, over-the-counter treatments can work. For example, a mild allergy from eating shellfish might cause you to break out in hives. But taking Benadryl or similar antiistamines might alleviate the symptoms and make you more comfortable. If your allergies cause you to break out in an itchy rash, an oral or topical steroid cream may help alleviate the symptoms and speed up healing.

Unfortunately, for severe allergies that risk causing anaphylaxis, your best bet for treatment after exposure is to have an Epi-Pen with you at all times. An Epi-Pen is a device that's filled with Epinephrine (Adrenaline), which can counteract the life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis long enough for you to reach a hospital for further care. Once at the hospital, additional drugs will be administered for treatment, such as steroids, anti-histamines, and asthma medications if needed.

As with anything allergy related, speak with your doctor or allergist for allergy treatement recommendations for your specific allergies. Your doctor may also be able to recommend allergy shots, or other ways of potentially desensitizing you to allergens

What Allergy Sufferers Should Know Before Moving to the Desert

If you suffer from allergies –particularly if they are severe-, you might think moving out to the desert will help relieve your symptoms. However, what seems like the perfect solution might actually wind up making your allergies worse, or causing you to develop new ones. While you might not have the tree pollen you’re allergic to, deserts often have winds that whip up dust and sand. In addition, many desert communities have added golf courses to attract vacationers and retirees, which means extra grass pollen, dust, and spores are kicked into the air every time the greens are mowed or otherwise manicured. Lastly, while you may have left behind what you were allergic to back home, your immune system may inevitably develop sensitivities to the trees and vegetation in your new desert home, leaving you miserable all over again. 

Why does this happen? Blame the fundamental cause of allergies: your immune system. An allergy develops when your body’s immune system mistakes something harmless –such as ragweed, grass, tree pollen, or dust- for a harmful pathogen and mounts a defense against it. It’s that immune response that causes the classic allergy symptoms that make you so miserable. When you move to a different climate, you might be able to escape your allergies for a few years. But as you grow accustomed to the new climate and environment, your immune system may find new potential allergens to latch onto, which starts the allergy cycle all over again. 

So how can you make your transition to a new location as smooth and symptom free as possible? Check in with your doctor or an allergist at an allergy and asthma clinic. They can discuss your symptoms with you, educate you on potential allergy risks in the area you will be moving to, and recommend a course of treatment that may help mitigate your symptoms.

Going beyond the symptoms in treating allergies

Allergies are pretty common in the spring. For a lot of people over the counter medicines work fine, but that is just treating the symptoms. Immunologists say shots can help a person develop a tolerance for allergies, and even cure them. The shots are an extreme measure though, and usually only done when allergies reach a severe level.

The allergies have to be severe enough, but doctors say allergies can be overcome with shots. You get the shots after going through a battery of tests to determine exactly what is causing your allergies, and to what degree. She shots are custom designed for each person, and you have to be consistent in going to the doctor to get the shot each week for it to work. After about six months the serum, or the shots, can be adjusted. A Scottsdale allergy clinic will advise you on the best approach for your individual condition by performing specific allergy tests on you.

The most common allergies are grass and ragweed pollens. People are also allergic   to tree pollen, mold, dust, food and other things. Sometimes it is a combination of things, like ragweed and mold, that cause symptoms.

A daily pill that can be used for grass and ragweed allergies, which work as well as shots. But it only works for those two things. If you have mold allergies too, you will have to get shots. The shots may also be tailored to fit your individual condition, and can address both pollen and mold, or any combination you might have.

The goal of immunology is to completely cure the allergy problem by helping a person build up a tolerance for the thing that is causing an allergic reaction. If symptoms are beyond minor, or if they last all year, this might be a reasonable alternative. The shots do require that you go to see the doctor once a week, which is a commitment of time and money. Immunology or immunologist and Scottsdale Allergy Doctor will closely monitor your progress and adjust the shots as time passes to get the best overall effect.

Scottsdale Allergies & Pets: Can Allergy Sufferers have pets without being miserable?

It's no secret that Scottsdale residents love their pets.  Dogs and cats become beloved members of the family. But sadly, they often also make allergy sufferers in Arizona miserable.

What are the signs of an allergic reaction? If you find yourself or one of your family members wheezing, sneezing, having itchy eyes, or even breaking out into a rash, the culprit could be allergies – and this can happen at any time, even if you haven't had allergies previously.

Fortunately, in most cases, you won't have to give up your furry family member!!!

How to handle pet allergies

Make bedrooms off-limits
Mattresses, comforters, and pillows are magnets to hair and dander. You spend hours every day breathing deeply as you sleep, which can trigger severe reactions. Keeping pets out of bedrooms minimizes the risk of these reactions.

Start allergy shots and medications as directed by your Scottsdale allergist  
Most children will outgrow allergies if you start shots as soon as you know there's a problem, and adults, too, are usually able to continue to live with pets once they're treated.

Use HEPA filters in the house and in your vacuum
HEPA air filters used throughout the house will help keep allergens out of the air. Use a HEPA filter in your vacuum as well so that dander and fur is captured rather than dispersed into the air.

Bathe pets often
While bathing isn't usually a problem with dogs, you might find it next to impossible with cats. In that case, simply wipe your pet down with a damp cloth.

Use protective casings on pillows and mattresses
Even though you're keeping pets out of bedrooms, it's still a good idea to cover pillows and mattresses in special anti-allergenic casings. Dander and fur can still be carried into bedrooms, and the casings will ensure that mattresses and pillows stay clean and fresh.

There IS another treatment for allergies!

If this sounds familiar or do you have tried these solutions and believe you or your child may be suffering from cat allergies Reach out to a top Scottsdale allergy clinic for assistance, and their special allergy testing - and you or your family member can feel well again!

Quit Wheezing....Enjoy the rest of spring!

Whether it's trees, flowers, and grasses in bloom, or animal dander, this spring is ripe with Arizona pollen and allergens. The contradictions inherent in allergy symptoms can be confusing. Your eyes might be itchy while also being dry or watery; your nose might be stuffy or runny. Instead of hunkering down and staying inside, or avoiding pets as much as you can, an allergist can determine the cause of your symptoms and eventually relieve them.

How do allergies work? Why do allergies have contradictory symptoms?

Allergic responses occur when an irritant disrupts your physiology and your body mounts an immune response to it.

For example, if you inhale some pollen that you're allergic to, a mild irritation can produce a runny nose or itchy, watery eyes. These are signs that your body is trying to flush out the irritant and return to homeostasis.With continued exposure to the irritant, your body's methods of "washing away" the pollen has become ineffective, and the inflammation associated with the immune response can cause swelling of the nasal passages, resulting in an uncomfortable, stuffy nose.

Over-the-counter antihistamines might alleviate mild allergic symptoms, and prescription medications such as steroid nasal sprays and decongestants can help manage more severe symptoms.

Allergies—like many other things—are individual; each person might have an unique profile of allergens that provoke responses.

With a personalized allergy evaluation of your situation, an Scottsdale allergy specialist can propose an appropriate course of action. Available structured immunotherapy treatments include shots and sublingual drops, which is becoming more common. An allergist can properly assess the onset, triggers, severity, and duration of your allergy symptoms so that you can enjoy spring again.

Allergies and Arizona Cats- how to create peace!

What do you do if you've just found out someone in your family is allergic to your beloved cat? Arizona is full of allergens from desert blooms and pollution, so adding a pet can be difficult. The truth is that the best thing to do is to find another home for your pet. However, if that is too emotionally hard to do, here are some steps to try before you make that final decision:

1. Start allergy shots for family members who are allergic.
2. Limit the allergic person's contact with the cat. If they do touch the cat, be sure they wash their hands and change clothes.
3. Keep the cat out of bedrooms and keep the door closed.
4. Get a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter for your vacuum and be sure to vacuum your house often.
5. Do a thorough vacuum of the area where the person with allergies sleeps. Then wash all of the fabric in the room, including sheets, pillows, comforters and curtains. Be sure to dust away any surfaces, especially places the cat likes to go.
6. Get allergy covers for pillows and mattresses. That will help protect the person from pet dander that has already seeped in, as well as preventing more pet dander from building up.
7. Get a HEPA allergy air filter for the bedroom and keep the door closed while you use it.
8. Be ready to give more medications to control that person's allergies.

Be sure to consult with your Scottsdale Allergy and Asthma doctor about the steps you have taken and let them help you adjust your home environment and medication. You may be able to keep your pet if you are willing to do the work it takes to keep your family member healthy.

A Scottsdale Asthma Doctor Explains Asthma Symptoms in Toddlers

Diagnosing asthma in young children is difficult, but early diagnosis is essential to reducing asthma related flare ups and complications. Doctors have an especially difficult time diagnosing asthma in young kids because many viral illnesses mimic asthma symptoms. A Scottsdale asthma doctor explains the signs parents should watch for in their children.

The most common asthma symptoms in children include coughing, wheezing, troubling breathing, and recurring bronchitis. Children with asthma may experience a tight or uncomfortable feeling in their chest. However this can be much more difficult to spot because younger children have trouble communicating their symptoms. Parents should be particularly mindful if they notice decreased activity in their toddler due to breathlessness. If your child avoids running and playing or becomes tired quickly and begins coughing during physical activity, be sure to mention these symptoms to their physician.  

Further complicating diagnosis is the fact that some children experience few symptoms on a daily basis, but experience severe asthma attacks on other occasions. Other children will experience mild symptoms almost constantly and show an increase in symptoms during physical activities or when exposed to allergens. Smoke and seasonal allergies are well known for triggering asthma activity.

One of the premier asthma doctors in Arizona encourages parents who believe their child is suffering from asthma or asthma related symptoms to consult with their doctor. Parents have the most contact with their children and are in the best position to recognize symptoms of this complicated condition. Early diagnosis is crucial to help children live full and healthy lives.