Conditions and Treatments
When Are Allergies Serious Enough to Seek Medical Help?
Allergies are extremely common, with symptoms ranging from a stuffy nose and occasional sneeze to life-threatening symptoms. For example, allergies are the most common trigger for asthma attacks.
If allergic symptoms are causing discomfort or pain, or impairing a person's ability to work, play or simply enjoy life, it is time to look beyond the numerous over the counter allergy medications available.
Common substances known to trigger allergic symptoms include grass, tree and weed pollens, mold spores, dust mites, animal dander, cigarette smoke, perfumes and colognes, feathers, dyes, insect stings, industrial chemicals and countless others.
Common allergic reactions include hay fever, asthma, eczema, hives and a variety of other serious allergic conditions. Recurring sinus infections are also often attributed to a persons allergies.
Why Doesn't Everyone Have Allergies?
While a great deal is known about what happens when a person is allergic to a substance and how to treat effectively the condition, no one really knows why allergies and asthma wreak havoc with some people and not others.
Allergy is an inherent trait with a genetic predisposition. A child's risk of allergic-type disease is 20 percent, unless one parent is allergic, which raises the risk to 30 to 40 percent. If both parents are allergic, there is a 50 to 70 percent chance of a child developing an allergic condition. The board-certified allergist's goal is to help patients prevent symptoms by managing their allergic or asthmatic conditions so they can lead healthy, normal lives. The strong emphasis placed on individualized patient care, proven to result in a higher than average percentage of compliance, has been part of the clinic's philosophy of practice for over 75 years.
What Can Be Done?
The techniques and equipment used at the Oklahoma Allergy & Asthma Clinic include the latest advancements in the field. Since 1925, clinic physicians have been participating in or conducting research projects and new drug studies to help improve tests and treatments available for asthma and allergies.
The benefits of having such a wealth of experience, skill and scientific technology under one roof are realized daily by patients and utilized by clinic physicians to:
- determine if a patient's symptoms are caused by, or related to an allergic reaction to one or more substances;
- identify those substances; and
- reduce or, if possible, eliminate the allergic effects