As a patient in our office, you have consulted us for evaluation of your ear, nose, or throat problem. There is an indication that your health problem may be caused by or seriously affected by allergic disease.  Recently medical investigators have found that many common and puzzling ear, nose and throat problems may be a result of allergies. If allergy treatment has been suggested to you, we have prepared the following information for you so that you may be better informed regarding the decision.

                                   What are Allergies
Allergies are an abnormal response of the immune system. People who have allergies have an immune system that reacts to a usually harmless substance in the environment.  This substance (pollen, mold, animal dander, etc) is called an allergen.  The greater the time and or exposure to an allergen, the greater the chances are that a susceptible person will develop an allergic problem. Allergies are a very common problem especially in Oklahoma, affecting at least 2 out of every 10 Americans.  Heredity plays a role in allergies.  Individuals inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen.   When one parent is allergic, their child has a 50% chance of having allergies.  That risk jumps to 75% if both parents have allergies.

                                       Allergy Tests
There are several ways to test for allergies.  In our office, we do intradermal testing and blood testing. The intradermal test is done by injecting a minute amount of allergen just under the skin. A resulting wheal resembles a small mosquito bite and after 10 minutes of observation, an increase in size generally indicates a positive reaction to that allergen. The number of tests required will depend on a patient’s history and reactions to testing.  The intradermal titration method allows precise identification of the level of allergic sensitivity, and therefore allergic control can be reached rapidly. Blood testing is not as sensitive as skin testing, but is used on patients who are not able to have skin testing for a variety of reasons.

                                   Allergy Treatment
The goal of allergic treatment is to eliminate allergic symptoms.  A basic part of the management of allergies is aiding the patient in eliminating offending allergens whenever possible. Since certain allergens cannot be eliminated, the reaction of the patient to these substances is controlled by desensitization.  Alleviating allergic symptoms is done by a process called desensitization.  This process involves introducing the patient to small but increasing amounts of the substance they are allergic to.  This conditions one so that they have little or no reaction when they are exposed to the offending substance.  The same type of desensitization is utilized following skin or blood testing.  In our office the desensitization is accomplished by weekly allergy shots or daily drops placed under the tongue.  The desensitization process can take 2 to 4 years.  By two to three months a patient should see improvement in control of their allergic symptoms.  Once a patient is symptom free a maintenance dosage is begun.