Environmental Allergies

What are environmental allergies?

Environmental allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to a substance in your surroundings that is normally not a threat to your wellness. Some common examples of environmental allergens are:

Pet dander

Pet dander and animal saliva can cause allergic reactions to dogs, cats, and other household pets. Some pet dander allergies are so sensitive that symptoms flare up when someone near you has pet fur on their clothing.

Pollen

Pollen comes from trees and other plants. Many people with pollen allergies experience far worse symptoms during the spring and fall when airborne pollen increases.

Dust mites

Dust mites are indoor allergens. These tiny bugs live in your furniture and prefer warm, humid environments.

How are environmental allergies diagnosed?

ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC offers allergy testing to determine the environmental allergen causing your symptoms. The symptoms vary from person to person and can include coughing, sneezing, fatigue, and itching.

The ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC team prefers to use skin tests like patch tests and skin prick tests over blood tests. This is because skin tests produce more accurate results and because their results are available almost immediately.

Some medications can interfere with allergy test results, so you’ll need to discuss with your doctor what medications you’re taking before testing to see if you need to temporarily stop taking any.

How are environmental allergies treated?

ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC can help you manage your allergy symptoms and work toward preventing allergic reactions using immunotherapy. The team can recommend medications like antihistamines to manage some of your allergy symptoms when they happen. Some prescription medications can also be of help in managing your symptoms. 

Immunotherapy in the form of weekly allergy shots or daily sublingual (under the tongue) drops gradually builds your immune system’s tolerance of a given allergen. The average time it takes to undergo immunotherapy with shots or drops is 3-5 years. Once immunotherapy has successfully controlled your allergies for two consecutive seasons, you can taper off your dose.

Don’t hesitate to schedule testing for environmental allergies over the phone at ENT & Allergy Specialists of VA, PC. You can also book online.