Allergy
Dr. Husain being an Ear, Nose, & Throat specialist is able to diagnose and treat disorders of the upper respiratory tract [ear, nose, throat, sinuses, etc.] caused by allergic conditions.
Allergies of the Ear, Nose, & Throat
Allergies can appear at any age and can even disappear in childhood only to reappear in adulthood.
Allergies can be inherited. This is a condition in which immune system of the allergic person react to something eaten or in the environment that doesn’t affect most other people.
The adult who complains of repeated respiratory infections every month or so, especially without fever, merits an allergy evaluation. Many cases of migraine-type headaches are actually allergic in origin.
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Symptoms of Allergies
Allergy symptoms can take many different forms, sneezing, or stuffiness of the nose accompanied by redness or itching of the eyes are classic allergy symptoms, but are not always due to allergies they can be caused by other conditions such as constant sinus infections, temperature changes or reaction to smoke or fumes.
Chronic sinus problems, postnasal drip, head congestion, recurring ear infections, hearing loss, dizziness, chronic cough and asthma are also symptoms of allergies. The immune system is a complex mechanism designed to protect the body against stress: both internal and external. Allergy is a malfunction of the immune system in which the body attempts to protect itself against substances that pose little or no threat to its safety. All inhalant allergy and insect sting allergy, as well as most drug allergy is caused by IgE. Only a small portion of food allergy is a result of IgE reactions. IgE medicated allergy may be diagnosed by skin testing or by a laboratory testing of blood using the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) or the enzyme--- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
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Allergy Treatment
Medications such as antihistamines, oral decongestants, nasal sprays & bronchodilators may be effective in controlling allergy symptoms.
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Avoidance
The ideal approach to the control of allergy is simply to have the patient to avoid contact with the allergenic offender; if the patient never comes in contact with the allergen, no sensitization can occur. Once an allergen has been identified as the source of allergy, that substance should be avoided- dust, pollen, & mold spores are very difficult to avoid therefore allergen avoidance alone may not be effective. The control of exposure to seasonal pollen may be difficult without an alteration of life style, by the patient.
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Immunotherapy
When allergen avoidance & medication do not successfully control allergy symptoms, the doctor can alter the body’s overactive response by carefully challenging the patient’s immune system through regular injections of the actual allergen to which a patient is sensitive, this can only be accomplished when the allergy testing has revealed what it is that a patient is allergic to. After several months of weekly injections of increasingly stronger dose patient will reach a maintenance dose and continue to receive that dose at regular intervals. The size of dose and length of intervals between doses depends greatly on the response to injections. Some people will receive complete symptom relief by taking allergy shots, but a true cure is rare.
Many patients are not aware of the fact that immunotherapy today is not expected to be continued for life time and that 80% to 90% of patients properly treated will be able to discontinue immunotherapy after 3 to 5 years and remain comfortable, some medical supplementation may be required when allergen exposure is especially heavy, but will usually be on an as needed, temporary basis rather then a regular one. Some patients are concerned about the mechanism of immunotherapy. The patients should know that the allergens used for treatment are essentially merely the substances that are causing the allergenic reactions, and not foreign material. The offender are being presented to the patients immune system repeatedly in such a way that the immune system is able to adjust to the exposure and build up protection rather than experience an adverse reaction.
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Sublingual Immunotherapy
We also do sublingual immunotherapy.
Sublingual immunotherapy is a method of allergy treatment that uses an allergen solution given under the tongue which over the course of treatment, reduces sensitivity to allergens. Sublingual immunotherapy or SLIT, has a very good safety profile and is given at home in adults and children.
Some local sensitivity has been reported (minor oral itching) during initial treatment.
Most insurance companies at this time do not pay for the oral drops, however the cost is lower than the shots.Receiving allergy drops require fewer clinic visits.
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