Allergy Treatment

At Advanced Allergy & Asthma Associates and Food Allergy Center of Illinois, we understand how allergies can greatly affect one’s lifestyle. Some patients have severe allergies that may cause them to watch everything they eat or are exposed to while other patients may benefit from medication when they know they may be exposed to their allergen. Visiting an allergy doctor in the Elgin area is the best way to determine the severity of one’s allergies, the trigger for their allergic symptoms, and the best ways to treat the condition when the problem arises. Dr. Noga Askenazi and the staff help … Continue Reading

ou may have become accustomed to the watery eyes, the itchy skin. Maybe the constant congestion, wheezing and coughing is just a part of your life. Maybe it’s been so long since you didn’t have these symptoms that you forgot how great you felt — before the sneezing, the rashes, the runny nose, and other conditions disrupted sleep, work, and social activities. In one of the biggest surveys about allergies to date, Quest Diagnostics in 2011 reported those with allergies experienced symptoms for 10 weeks every year. Workers with allergies were 10 percent less productive than their non-allergic counterparts. Allergies … Continue Reading

You may have thought you were in the clear. After all, you never had an allergy as a child. Then, to your alarm, you began experiencing eyes so watery and itchy it’s sometimes tough to drive. You’re missing more work because of the unbearable itch, congestion and sneezing. You can’t run outside or enjoy sports as you did without the roof of your mouth itching uncontrollably, or the sinus pressure cuts your workout short. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You’re a grown-up, after all. Shattering the myth The truth is, half of new allergies occur in adults, most … Continue Reading

April is Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) month, a time when we can put a spotlight on the disorders that make up primary immunodeficiency diseases. These conditions can affect nearly anyone, and can greatly impact quality of life. While all the diseases are different, they have one thing in common: they are a product of improper functioning of the immune system. Since the immune system’s role is to keep us healthy from infection, patients who have PI are more susceptible to infections, recurring health problems, and serious illness. With quality treatment, patients living with primary immunodeficiency diseases can go on to live … Continue Reading

There are certain things in life that you don’t want to trust to just anyone. You wouldn’t seek legal advice from your dentist, or try to get your car repaired by a general contractor. In the same manner, it wouldn’t be prudent to see anyone but a specialist to diagnose and treat allergic symptoms. Families in the area of Elgin and Crystal Lake, IL trust in their pediatric/allergy immunology specialist at Advanced Allergy & Asthma Associates/Food Allergy Center of Illinois for expert advice and treatment for conditions such as asthma, allergies, and immunodeficiency disorders. Why specialized care matters In order … Continue Reading

Seasonal allergies, also called hay fever, can put you on the sidelines, feeling miserable. The condition known as allergic rhinitis causes a number of very unpleasant symptoms, including: Coughing and sneezingRunny noseCongestionItchy, watery, irritated eyesAn itchy throat or nose, and itchy skinSore throatCongested earsHeadaches It is not so much the presence of these symptoms, but their persistence and severity create problems. They occur in response to triggers such as mold, pet dander, and pollen. Hay fever is a seasonal allergic rhinitis that occurs on dry, hot, windy days when pollen is abundant in the air. How your Elgin, IL pediatric/allergy … Continue Reading

Hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, is a common condition that is often triggered by pollen in the air. Other forms of rhinitis exist and they can be caused by indoor allergens. In a normal immune system, there is no response to the allergen. For sufferers of allergenic rhinitis, the immune system responds to the allergen (pollen) by releasing histamine and other chemicals that cause allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, coughing, or itchy and watery eyes. Hay fever symptoms can range in severity from annoying, to grossly affecting daily life. During the spring, hay fever is most commonly … Continue Reading

For patients who suffer daily from allergies, allergy shots, often referred to as immunotherapy, are the closest available thing to a cure. The goal of immunotherapy is to train the immune system not to react to the substances that are causing allergic reactions. Allergy shots are effective for allergens such as pollen, mold, and pet dander, but are not yet proven effective for food. The overwhelming majority of patients who undergo immunotherapy have a marked reduction in allergy symptoms. Treatment can reduce the need for allergy medications and can help reduce the risk of developing additional allergies. When deciding to … Continue Reading

For patients who are suffering from allergies, immunotherapy treatment (allergy shots) may be the best solution to drastically reduce or eliminate allergic symptoms. This is an excellent option for patients who are not seeing a response to medications or who are having persistent symptoms several times throughout the year. It can help some patients wean off medications. Allergy shots are an effective course of treatment for patients suffering from asthma, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, rashes, or venom sting allergies. They are not effective for food, latex, or drug allergies. To begin, allergy shots are administered one to two … Continue Reading

You may have heard of allergy shots. Otherwise known as immunotherapy, they are not technically allergy drugs but rather the measured, gradually increasing injection of the offending substance or substances. By exposing the body to the allergen or allergens, the immune system builds up a tolerance. Over time, you may find you are no longer as sensitive to the substance. As you go through treatment, you’ll want to continue to use allergy medicine as prescribed by Dr. Noga Askenazi. However, with time, you may not be as reliant on your long-term asthma medication. Furthermore, immunotherapy may be a good answer … Continue Reading