Has Hay Fever Got You Down? Speak to an Allergist Who Can Help You Find Relief

Have you been dealing with symptoms similar to a cold that simply won’t go away? If so, then you may not have a cold at all – you may be suffering from hay fever. If you’re tired of living with it – or seeing your child suffer with it – then we urge you to call Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group at 805-658-9500 to get help.

Hay fever may be more common than you think

Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, affects about 8% of adults in the United States and about 10% of children. In some cases, the hay fever is seasonal but for other people it can be persistent and last year round. The good news is the experienced staff at Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group can diagnose the exact issue and find the most effective treatment for you.

The diagnostic process

Before anyone can help you with you hay fever symptoms, they must first determine exactly what the problem is. Many people assume that they have hay fever because they have all the common symptoms, such as a runny nose, congestion, headaches, itchy eyes, watery eyes, ear popping, and sneezing. However, these can all be symptoms of other issues that have nothing to do with an allergic reaction.

The first thing we’ll do is determine your allergic profile. The specific way we’ll do this for you will vary based on a number of factors, but in most cases we’ll recommend two different tests. The first o them is a skin prick test. We’ll do this on your back. The second is an intradermal skin test, which we’ll do on your arm.

The first test will catch most allergies but the second test can check for essential allergies that a skin prick test can sometimes miss. Both tests give us the results in just 15 minutes, which means we can diagnose you while you’re in our offices. You don’t have to get the test, make another appointment and come back – we want this to be as convenient as quick as possible.

As soon as we get the results and have a concrete diagnosis, we’ll move on to finding the right treatment options for you. Note that we can also find other conditions that could be affecting your hay fever and making it worse, like sinusitis, nasal polyps, or asthma. If you have these issues then we can adjust your treatment to give you the best relief.

Treatment options

There are a number of treatment options available for hay fever. Typically the first step is to try some of the less invasive options, like medication or nasal sprays. However, for those who have more severe hay fever, those who haven’t gotten relief through typical medications, or those who have had a lot of side effects from medications, allergy shots may be the right choice. In fact, they’re the only option that could actually get rid of hay fever instead of just treating the symptoms of it.

To learn more about your options reach out to Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group at 805-658-9500. We look forward to helping you feel better!