Anyone getting hit hard by allergies this year? (Phoenix: living, move)

[Ghost of the Desert]

Not yet, April and May it's a done deal though.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by phxgreenfire

Ugh... yes! My throat is scratchy, my voice sounds like Harvey Fierstein's, my lungs feel like they're full of dust bunnies, I'm having problems breathing, chronically coughing and my body feels weird.

Have you been worked up for Tuberculosis?

[azriverfan.]

Let's clear up some misconceptions. I'm a physician board certified in internal medicine and cardiology

1. Nasal Surgeries are not a treatment for allergies. Nasal Surgeries are for people who have chronic sinusitis which is due to a bacterial infection not allergies.

2. Allergy Immunologists or "Allergists" are the medical professionals best suited to diagnose, treat and manage allergies. They are trained in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics followed up by a fellowship in Allergy Immunology. Allergists are one of the rare fields in medicine where they are trained to treat both children and adults. There is no separate Pediatric Allergists and Adult Allergists unlike Cardiology and most fields of medicine in which you have a separate Pediatric Cardiologist and Adult Cardiologist. So all Allergists are trained to treat and manage both adults and children. Some Allergists deliberately advertise as "Pediatric Allergists" or Adult Allergists but it's a misnomer and all are trained to treat both whether or not they choose to treat both but it's rare that you will find an Allergist treat only one group. They are board certified in the field of Allergy Immunology. There are some physcians who try to market themselves as Allergists such as ENT, Pulmonologists and Primary Care Physicians but they are not board certified in Allergy and are not Allergists.

3. Many allergies can be managed by your primary care physician. You don't need to see an Allergist immediately. Many primary care physicians will refer to Allergists in patients who are difficult or challenging to manage. However, Primary Care Physicians don't skin test their patients so they don't know what their patients are specifically allergic to and will try general well established treatments that are helpful in people with mild allergies. Allergists are best suited to seeing patients who have chronic allergies (daily or weekly) and can't seem to find relief from over-the-counter medications. If you are having to take over-the-counter medications daily, you might want to be seen by an allergist.

4. "Shot-free" or Sublingual Immunotherapy (drops below your tounge) has not been proven to work and is not an FDA approved treatment for allergies. Many non-Allergy physicians will offer this treatment and advertise as a "shot free" approach to treating allergies but it is not a proven remedy by the FDA.

5. ENT's or Otorhinolaryngologists are not allergists or trained to treat and manage allergies any more than a primary care physician. ENT's specialize in head and neck surgery, sinusitis, tonsillectomy, tympanostomy (tubes in ears) among other areas. There are some ENT's who mislabel themselves as "allergists" or try to practice allergy but that's similar to many Family medicine and Internal Medicine doctors focusing their area of practice in dermatology and essentially try to pawn themselves off as dermatologists without officially claiming they are board certified in dermatology.

6. Most people are not compliant (do not follow treatment strictly) with regards to most allergy treatments. Shot therapy does not work immediately. It often takes 1-2 years before shot therapy begins to provide relief. However, after 5 years, most (85%) of patients find permanent relief and do not require further shots. However, most people do not have the patience or the proper understanding of how shot therapy works and will stop after 1 year after failing to find relief when they should have continued it.

7. Allergies are very unique. You need to get skin tested to assess what you are allergic to. In addition to medication, lifestyle changes need to be made. People need to be strict about avoiding triggers. An Allergist can discuss what those behavioral and lifestyle changes are hence this is why you should see a true Allergist and not an ENT, Pulmonologist or Internal Medicine doctor if you are suffering from allergies.

8. You can find Allergists by googling Allergy Immunologists. Find a doctor - Doctor reviews and ratings - Doctor vitals - RateMDs.com also has an Arizona section, search under Allergy and there are allergists with reviews. Some of the groups I recommend are Arizona Allergy Associates, Arizona Asthma and Allergy and Allergy Associates and Lab. You can google each of these and they will have websites with doctor profiles. I don't recommend anyone I wouldn't see myself. All of these groups have strong reputations. Out of objectivity, I won't recommend any particular doctor. You can research them on www.ratemds.com, or google them.

9. Most over-the-counter medications are not very effective to treating people with chronic allergies. They are ideal in individuals who rarely suffer from allergies. If you are having to take Zyrtec every day, then you should probably see an Allergist and be worked up properly and obtain medication that is more effective.

10. Try to keep a one week journal, note triggers, and bring a copy of your medication list which should include any over-the-counter medications.

Good Luck

[phxgreenfire]

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

Have you been worked up for Tuberculosis?

Hmm... well, some days it's worse than others, like yesterday and today. I think it had something to do with the fact that I can see South Mountain quite clearly from my apartment usually... and it was practically invisible yesterday with that certain something in the air.

[khuntrevor]

It's not possible for the three house cats to be the cause of Junior's allergies............It must be that Doctor. BTW, a lot of sniffling during the Super Bowl weekend was not from allergies.... BTW, thanks to the real MD for taking the time to educate us.

[AndroidAZ]

Thanks for the info doc. I saw my primary doc and then my allergist 3 years ago. Had the full skin test and all. The allergist prescribed Zyrtec at the time, before it was over the counter. The only other option was allergy shots, and the allergist said there was no guarantee it would work, most likely a 50-50 chance.

I've been on Zyrtec pretty all year. Claritin does nothing for me. I take Benadryl at night to cope.

This is something seasonal. With the winds kicking up as I speak, pollen, dust, and other things are getting the best of me. I hope it will clear up soon.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by AndroidAZ

Thanks for the info doc. I saw my primary doc and then my allergist 3 years ago. Had the full skin test and all. The allergist prescribed Zyrtec at the time, before it was over the counter. The only other option was allergy shots, and the allergist said there was no guarantee it would work, most likely a 50-50 chance.

I've been on Zyrtec pretty all year. Claritin does nothing for me. I take Benadryl at night to cope.

This is something seasonal. With the winds kicking up as I speak, pollen, dust, and other things are getting the best of me. I hope it will clear up soon.

Allergy shots don't work in everyone but it's efficacy exceeds 50%. Zyrtec is an antihistamine and it's only one class of drugs to treat allergies. They have adverse effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. Claritin is another type of antihistamine. Xyzal is another second generation antihistamine that tends to cause less drowsiness than Zyrtec. There are many different types of classes of medications to treat allergies. Steroids are another treatment and come in both oral and nasal dispension. Flonase, a nasal steroid, is pretty popular because you don't get the adverse effects of antihistamines. Then there is Xolair which works on a different principle. There is also Leukotriene inhibitors like Singulair. This is why people should see an Allergist because there are a lot of different medications and treatment plans; it's not just shots, Zyrtec and Claritin. If you saw your allergist 3 years ago then you are due for an appointment, you should be following up with your allergist at least 1-2 times per year.

[Mares84]

I have had some allergy problems since moving here. Everytime I go outside my eyes water uncontrollabley along with my nose. It seems to fade a little after a few hours ouside though. It must be a plant or something in the air. I most likely will take some claritin or something similiar to see if it helps.

Thanks to the doc for all the info.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Mares84

I have had some allergy problems since moving here. Everytime I go outside my eyes water uncontrollabley along with my nose. It seems to fade a little after a few hours ouside though. It must be a plant or something in the air. I most likely will take some claritin or something similiar to see if it helps.

Thanks to the doc for all the info.

Same here - with itching. Looks like allergy but my ophthalmologist says that is more likely dry eye irritation. Seems odd I suppose with the watering. The tears also drain down through the nose. Allergy meds don't do anything for it. Anyway, I have used Systane eye drops (over the counter) with mixed results.

[wit-nit]

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Sometimes You Need to Fix the Nose Before You Can Control the Allergies
Added by: Murray Grossan MD

When to Choose Nasal Surgery

Although I write of non- surgical approaches to Allergy, it is true that many persons with allergies can be helped by surgery. Actually, you want to recommend what is best for the patient.

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