
Serving as the 6th leading cause of chronic conditions among adults, it is no surprise that more than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year. In order to learn how to treat and manage your allergies, it’s important to understand them.
Understanding your allergies begins with knowing what type of allergies you have, and simply put: what you’re allergic to.
Common types of allergies include:
Indoor and Outdoor
trees, grass, weed pollen, mold spores, pets, and rodent dander
Skin
skin inflammation, eczema, hives, chronic hives, and contact allergies
Contact allergens
poison ivy, soap, jewelry, latex
Food
peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk,
Drugs
Penicillin being the most popular
Insect
Stings (bee and wasps,) poisonous ant bites, cockroaches, and dust mites
While symptoms may depend on each person, as well as the trigger, some common tell-tale signs of having allergies include:
Sneezing
Itchy nose, eyes, or mouth
Swelling of your tongue or face
Runny or congested nose
Swollen, watery eyes
Rash or hives
Wheezing
Itchy, dry, scaling, or oozing skin
An itchy, swollen area at the site of an insect sting
Upset stomach, diarrhea, cramping as a result of food allergies
You should consider scheduling a check-up and allergy testing if:
Over-the-counter medications don’t improve your symptoms
You experience chronic sinus infections, nasal congestion, or difficulty breathing
Your allergy symptoms last several months out of the year
Here in our Dallas office, we are proud to offer the below types of allergy tests:
Patch testing
Skin prick testing
Blood testing
At Southwest Family Medicine and Associates our Allergy Testing Specialist Stacy is ready to help you with all of your testing needs. If you’re ready to alleviate your symptoms, please call 469-273-1790 to request an appointment.