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Allergy Treatments

Allergies are prevalent in the United States, with millions of Americans developing at any age. The condition is often inherited which centers around the immune system reacting to something ingested or inhaled. Symptoms can range from nasal drainage, congestion, itchy eyes, watery eyes, with an itchy throat and sneezing. There could even be confusion between allergies and chronic sinus conditions. Sonoran Ear Nose and Throat has the expertise of Otolaryngic Allergists to diagnose and treat disorders of the ear, nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract. As Otolaryngologists, Dr. Kang and Dr. Lara will be able to concomitantly diagnose other disease processes of the sinuses and nose.

Medical Therapies:

Saline nasal washes
OTC meds
Prescription Medications

Allergy Testing:

Testing for specific allergens of Southern Arizona is the goal of skin testing at Sonoran Ear Nose and Throat. Testing is performed as a panel of local allergens in the form of noninjection testing (prick testing), and possible injection testing in select patients (i.e., intradermal testing). This gives us very specific diagnoses of your inhalant allergies, and affords us information for specific medical treatment. This is very specific to your body’s specific reaction (i.e., in vivo), versus blood testing (i.e., in vitro; RAST blood testing), which defines more potential for allergies. Testing typically takes less than an hour in office, with restriction of pretesting medications. Please call our office to set up a consultation for discussion of your candidacy for shot free allergy testing and treatment including allergy injections/sublingual drop therapy.

Allergy Desensitization Therapy:

Allergy desensitization is the therapy that allows the body to become less hypersensitive to allergens in the air, leading to less symptoms and likely less medical therapy necessary to control those symptoms. Desensitization comes in the form of allergy injections or alternatively, sublingual drop immunotherapy.

Allergy injections – Customized quantities of allergens that were positive on skin testing are formulated into an injection serum, which is administered on a weekly basis at the Sonoran ENTA office.
Sublingual (or drop) Immunotherapy (SLIT; shot free) – Alternative to injections, sublingual or drop therapy (under the tongue) can be self administered by the patient at home. This is very convenient on multiple levels, for the patient based on restrictions of geography, time/schedule, to reactions to injection therapy. Sublingual therapy is typically not covered under insurance plans, so please ask us details regarding your insurance and sublingual packages we offer.

Allergy Treatment:
There are basically three modalities to allergy treatment:

Avoidance (of the offending allergens; the things to which you are allergic) – sometimes difficult to avoid specific allergens in your area to which you are exposed to daily.
Pharmacotherapy (medications) – multiple medications can be used ranging from antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, to decongestants. Many of the therapies are palliative and not treating underlying allergy conditions.
Immunotherapy (allergy shots or sublingual [under tongue] desensitization) – Desensitization actually alter the body’s hyperactive response to allergens, by changing the patient’s immune system. This treatment is performed via weekly allergy injections in office, versus drops regularly under the tongue (SLIT) at home. This is similar to vaccination for infectious diseases such as the flu. A majority of patients undergo changes to improve symptoms and decrease need for allergy medications/avoidance therapy.