Treatment
CONDITIONS WE TREAT
Allergic Rhinitis
● Second leading cause of chronic disease in the United States● 40-60 million Americans are affected● Over 3 million missed days per year of work and school● Most common symptoms are nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy nose, drip of secretions down the back of the throat or out the front of the nose.● Immunotherapy (Allergy Shots) is a very effective treatment.● The best way to diagnose the disorder is by a thorough history, physical exam and skin testing via a board certified allergist.
Asthma
About 25 million people in the U.S. have Asthma and about 60% of those people have Allergic Asthma. For those whose asthma is moderate to severe and uncontrolled, getting the right diagnosis can be hard. This is because people with Allergic Asthma don’t always realize their Asthma is triggered by Allergens.
Asthma is a lung disease that makes it harder to move air in and out of your lungs.
● Asthma is chronic. In other words, you live with it every day.● It can be serious, even life-threatening.● There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed so you live a normal, healthy life
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With asthma, the airways in your lungs are often swollen or inflamed. This makes them extra sensitive to things that you are exposed to in the environment every day, or asthma triggers. A trigger could be a cold or the weather, or things in the environment, such as dust, chemicals, smoke and pet dander.
When you breathe in a trigger, the insides of your airways swell even more. This narrows the space for the air to move in and out of the lungs. The muscles that wrap around your airways also can tighten, making breathing even harder. When that happens, it’s called an asthma flare-up, asthma episode or asthma attack.
We have multiple was to test your lung function in office!
PFT (pulmonary function test) : Pulmonary function test is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function
FeNO Test: A FeNO test or exhaled nitric oxide test, in patients with allergic or eosinophilic asthma, is a way to determine how much lung inflammation is present and how well inhaled steroids are suppressing this inflammation. With allergic or eosinophilic asthma, sometimes you may feel your breathing is fine, but when you measure your exhaled nitric oxide, it may still be significantly elevated, and you might do better in the long-term using slightly more of your inhaled steroid to suppress this inflammation.
Mini Box lung volume measurements, as well as spirometry and diffusion testing: Easy to use, MiniBox+ provides accurate and repeatable, fully automatic measurements of Total Lung Capacity (TLC) and Residual Volume (RV), as well as single breath CO Diffusion (DLCO). With less than 2 minutes of tidal breathing required for Lung Volume Measurements (LVM), this gasless, cabinless system provides maximum patient comfort.
Infusion Therapy
Infusion therapy involves the administration of medication through a needle or catheter. It is prescribed when a patient’s condition cannot be treated effectively by oral medications. Typically, “infusion therapy” means that a drug is administered intravenously, but the term also may refer to situations where drugs are provided through other non-oral routes, such as intramuscular injections.
Some conditions commonly treated with Infusion Therapy are Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), Hypogammaglobulinemia , Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) , Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) , X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) , Autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, and Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
We have an In-Office Infusion Center so no need to be referred out.
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Desensitization Therapy
Oklahoma Institute of Allergy & Asthma has the most popular Desensitization Therapy in Oklahoma!
Desensitization is a method to reduce or eliminate a negative reaction to a substance or stimulus. The goal with Desensitization therapy is to help the body get used to the full dose of a particular FOOD or DRUG to avoid having an allergic reaction. With Desensitization therapy most patients can consume the food or drug they previously had a reaction to.
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Allergy Shots
After we determine what a patient is allergic to, we custom make a serum in our lab. This will allow us to introduce the allergen to the body in small doses, working up to a “maintenance dose”. Once a patient is at their maintenance dose they are able to be around the allergen without an overreaction.
We have an amazing injection center to make the process quick and easy.
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Allergy Skin Testing
Skin tests for allergic disorders have been used successfully for more than 100 years. Today, prick or puncture tests are commonly used by allergists as diagnostic aids. These tests are not very invasive and, for most allergens, they tend to produce quick results. If the results of prick or puncture tests are negative, they may be followed by intradermal tests, which give allergists more details about what’s causing the underlying symptoms.
Here is how both types of tests are given:
● Prick/puncture: A diluted allergen is applied using a small, disposable plastic device to prick the surface of your skin.● Intradermal: Using a small and very thin needle, a diluted allergen is injected just below the skin surface.
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After either type of test, the area of the skin is observed for about 15 minutes to see if a reaction develops. The “wheal”—a raised, red, itchy bump and surrounding “flare”—indicates the presence of the allergy antibody. The larger the wheal and flare, the greater the sensitivity.
Although skin testing may seem simple, it must be carried out by trained practitioners with an understanding of the variables and risks of the testing procedure.
Steps should include:
● After reviewing the patient’s medical history and performing a physical exam, the allergist determines that allergy skin testing is both appropriate and safe to perform on you that day.● A trained staff member performs the skin testing under the supervision of the allergist.● The skin test is read and graded for the level of response.
These factors include:
● Proper evaluation and selection of which patient may benefit from skin testing● Condition and reactivity of the skin● Proper selection of where the skin tests are placed● Type of skin test placed● Device used for skin testing● Proper technique in applying the tests● Quality and selection of the allergen extracts used● Medications that could alter the validity of the results
Potential risks of non-specialist care include:
Misinterpretation of test results
● Overdiagnosis● Mismanagement● Overprescription of medications and treatments● Costly and unnecessary allergen avoidance
https://acaai.org/allergies/treatment/allergy-testing/skin-test
Migraine
A migraine can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and can be so severe that the pain is disabling.
Warning symptoms known as aura may occur before or with the headache. These can include flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling on one side of the face or in your arm or leg.
Medications can help prevent some migraines and make them less painful. Call to schedule an appointment to talk to a provider about different migraine treatment options if you can’t find relief. The right medicines, combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, may help.