Allergy Treatments

What Causes Allergies?

When your body categorizes an allergen as harmful, it produces antibodies for that allergen. Each time you encounter that allergen in the future, the antibodies attack the allergen and produce chemicals like histamine that cause allergy symptoms.

Common Allergies

• Latex
• Medications (Such as Penicillin)
• Insect Venom
• Specific Foods
• Pollen
• Mold
• Dust Mites
• Animal Dander

What Causes Allergies?

The purpose of your immune system is to keep the body safe by recognizing and attacking foreign substances, such as viruses and bacteria. When you have allergies, that means there's a malfunction in this process.

An allergy develops when the immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a harmful one. When the immune system attacks the allergen, you experience allergy symptoms that may affect your skin, digestive system, airways, or sinuses.

Common Allergy Symptoms

The symptoms you'll experience when you have an allergy usually depend on the type of allergen. For example, inhaled allergens, such as pollen, may cause watery eyes, a stuffy or runny nose, itching in your nose or roof of the mouth, and sneezing.

For allergens that you eat or swallow, you may experience more severe symptoms, such as:

• Rash
• Itchy Skin
• Hives
• Wheezing
• Facial Swelling
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Skin Allergens:
• Rash
• Itching
• Flaking

How does Hill Family Medicine & Skin Care Tests for Allergies?

For most types of allergies, our practitioners will recommend a blood test or allergy skin testing. This test can determine which substances are causing your symptoms so you can get the best possible treatment.

Allergy Treatments

With some allergens, you may be able to deal with the problem simply by avoiding the substance. However, other allergens are unavoidable. Some allergies respond well to medication, such as antihistamines.

However, if you continue to have symptoms with medication, immunotherapy may be recommended. We can treat you with a purified form of specific allergens over a period of several months. That will help you build an immunity and experience fewer symptoms down the road leading to less illness due to allergies and less need for allergy medications.

Symptoms Indicative Of Allergies

• Stuffy or Runny Nose
• Sneezing
• Itchy and Watery Eyes
• Dark Eye Circles
• Rashes
• Coughing
• Wheezing

Hill Family Medicine is now offering allergy testing and immunotherapy onsite in our Bee Cave location.

Discover immunotherapy treatment for effective allergy relief. If you are interested in allergy testing and think allergy drops may be right for you, call our office at 512-428-5764 for more information.