Allergies
Take Care of Your Allergy with Cross Timbers ENT
We all know the feeling. You walk outside on a warm summer day in Arlington, and your nose is immediately consumed by pollen-filled air. If you’ve dealt with allergies most of your life, you know what a hassle they can be. However, treatment is available at Cross Timbers ENT. No longer will you need to stuff a pack of tissues in your purse or pocket. Our doctors based in Arlington, Midlothian, and Mansfield, TX will evaluate your allergy and prescribe treatments to alleviate your symptoms. Visit one of our offices today to talk with our staff about allergy treatment.
Know the Symptoms of Minor and Severe Allergies
Residents of Arlington, Midlothian, and Mansfield suffer from any number of allergies, ranging from mild nuisances to severe and even life-threatening. Because there are so many types of allergies, symptoms vary significantly from person to person. Our idea of a typical allergy is often consistent with hay fever. Symptoms of hay fever and other minor allergic reactions include:
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These symptoms often indicate a medical emergency, and you should contact your Cross Timbers ENT doctor or emergency services immediately.
Are You Experiencing a Severe Allergic Reaction?
Some of us have more severe allergies than others. If you’re experiencing one of the following symptoms, you may have a much more severe allergic reaction:
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These symptoms often indicate a medical emergency, and you should contact your Cross Timbers ENT doctor or emergency services immediately.
What Triggers Your Allergic Reactions?
If you’re experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, it’s critical that you identify the trigger. Nearly anything can trigger an allergic reaction if you’re sensitive to it, but some triggers are more common than others. Pollen is a top cause of allergies, as is mold growing from water damage or piles of leaves. Some people are allergic to animals (think cat allergies), and others experience a reaction when they come into contact with latex. Other common allergy triggers include:
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Learn More About Your Allergy with Expert Testing
Sometimes we know we have an allergy, but we can’t tell what causes it. If this is the case for you, schedule allergy testing with Cross Timbers ENT. During an allergy test, our team will perform a blood test or skin test to determine the culprit of your allergic reactions. We may recommend an elimination diet or expose you to a small bit of the suspected allergen to check for adverse reactions. After we identify the allergen you react poorly to, we’ll start treatments.
Common Allergy Treatments Prescribed at Cross Timbers ENT
Once we understand the cause of your allergies, our team will better be able to alleviate your symptoms. At Cross Timbers ENT, we typically prescribe two treatments for our patients struggling with allergies: allergy drops or shots.
- Allergy drops: This treatment involves placing a small amount of an allergen under your tongue. As you’re exposed to the allergen over time, your body becomes desensitized to it. Typically, after a few months, patients’ symptoms begin to decrease or disappear.
- Allergy shots: Allergy shots work with a similar intent to drops—to expose the patient to an allergen in hopes of desensitization. During this treatment, your Cross Timbers ENT nurse or MA will inject a small amount of a specific allergen into your body, quite like a vaccine. Most patients see results after a year of allergy shots.
Ask Your Cross Timbers ENT Doctor About Allergy Treatment
If you’ve dealt with irritating allergies for years, there is hope. Cross Timbers ENT recommends several different treatments for alleviating allergy symptoms. Of course, you can always try to avoid your trigger, but if something like grass or pollen causes a reaction, this may not be possible. Our doctors in Arlington, Midlothian, and Mansfield often prescribe medication that minimizes immune system reaction to allergens and symptoms. For more severe allergies, we suggest emergency epinephrine (EpiPen). This treatment allows you to carry a shot of medicine with you at all times in case of a serious allergic reaction. However, if you begin experiencing severe, life-threatening symptoms, always contact emergency services.