Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Associates P.S.
Specializing in disorders of the Ear, Nose and Throat.

About Treatment Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Associates P.S. of Puyallup

Treatment of Allergies NW Allergy Center of Puyallup

There are two basic methods of treatment. First by the removal of the allergen from the patients environment, and second by building up the patients resistance to allergens by the injection of small amounts of the antigen at regular intervals. Allergies are not cured but kept under control so the symptoms are minimal. allergy relief

The preferred method of treatment is to eliminate the offending allergen from the patient's environment. Eliminating pets can do this, if the allergen is an animal hair/dander. If a food is involved, the food can be restricted or eliminated. House dust can be minimized by dust proofing the living and sleeping areas. The amount of relief obtained by these methods is proportional to the thoroughness with which the allergens are eliminated. Of course some allergens cannot be eliminated from the environment completely such as dust mites, tobacco smoke or pollen, therefore eliminations is used in adjunct with immunotherapy. Immunotherapy consists of injecting the patient with an extract of the offending allergens in gradually increasing doses to a maximal tolerated dose which is called maintenance dose. This is done in attempt to develop blocking antibodies as a protection against the offending allergens. Drug therapy helps in alleviating the patient's symptoms but does little to control the allergy. Antihistamines, which were hailed as the cure all forms of allergy, turned out to be merely an adjunct to treatment and can be harmful if used indiscriminately.

Patient Cooperation

In few other fields of medicine is cooperation on the part of the patient as essential as it is in the treatment of allergies. The physician cannot do it alone. Dramatic cures are the exception, not the rule. It may take weeks or months before improvement is noted. Lack of improvement or flare-up of symptoms may be due to over or under dosage, which can readily be corrected by adjusting the dose. Frequently however, the cause may be some act on the part of the individual, which initiated the reaction. The patient must be critical of his/her every action and must be keenly aware of changes in their environment. If symptoms continue after testing and treatment, it is important to observe when and where the most trouble occurred. This gives a clue as to the source of the difficulty.

Outline of Specific Treatment

A careful history is the first step in treatment, allergy relief

for it aids in detecting which substances or allergens may be the major offenders. Tests are done to determine what the patient is allergic to and the degree of sensitivity, which is used as an index to treatment. No two patients are alike, therefore, they are not treated alike. Periodic re-testing may be necessary throughout the course of treatment. Allergies are a dynamic disease, not a static one, which means that the patient's allergies can change as their environment changes. Unless the history indicates that foods are the primary offenders, the inhalant factors are tested first. Often, when the inhalants are under control, the trouble from the foods becomes minimized. The inhalants will be treated by immunotherapy injections. Treatment to food allergies will consist of the use of a rotation of diets and the elimination of the less essential foods.