Pediatric Allergist Ashburn VA

Board Certified Pediatric Allergist Ashburn VA

Black & Kletz Allergy has a board certified pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents trust.  The allergists at Black & Kletz Allergy have expertise in treating all allergic and immunological disorders in children as well as adults.  These disorders include allergic sensitivities to environmental allergens, food allergens, insect venom, and medication allergies.  In addition to these allergies, our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA inhabitants respect has thorough knowledge and vast experience in treating conditions such as asthma, eczema, contact dermatitis, hives (i.e., urticaria), and angioedema (i.e., swelling).  Immunological disorders that are diagnosed and treated by our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA people admire include congenital and acquired immune deficiencies and some other disorders where the immune system malfunctions.

Our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents respect specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sensitivities to indoor allergens such as dust mites, molds, animal dander, and cockroaches and outdoor allergens such as tree, grass, ragweed, and other weed pollen.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents trust begins with an evaluation by testing for the suspected allergens based on a comprehensive history and physical examination.

Testing options employed by the pediatric allergist Ashburn VA people admire include skin prick testing and/or laboratory tests.  Skin tests entail pricking the skin with a small plastic toothpick-like device called a lancet which introduces a tiny amount of a solution containing the allergen into the superficial layers of the skin.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA inhabitants respect reads the test results after 15 to 20 minutes.  A positive result resembles a mosquito bite type of reaction with some redness, swelling, and itching at the site of the skin test.  If your child has asthma or reactive airway disease, breathing tests are also performed depending on your child’s age.

The treatment options for environmental allergies that our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents trust include environmental controls in order to reduce exposure to the known allergens and various medication regimens to help relieve the symptoms.  It is important that we make your child comfortable while ensuring that the allergies do not interfere with day-to-day activities and their learning ability in school.  One very effective option to prevent symptoms and to reduce the need for medications in the long term is called allergy immunotherapy.  It is also commonly referred to as allergy shots or allergy desensitization.  This treatment modality involves desensitizing the child to the allergens he or she is sensitized to.  Allergy shots have been given in the U.S. for more than 100 years and effective in 80-85% of children who take them.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents trust will be pleased to provide more detailed information about this option to interested parents.

Eczema in children is another common condition that our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA inhabitants respect has expertise in treating.  Eczema is a chronic inflammatory condition of the skin.  Though the underlying cause is genetic, many environmental factors may play a role in triggering and aggravating the disorder.  In this disease, the skin looks dry and the creases in the skin are accentuated.  Itching is a common problem that tends to interfere with sleeping at home and learning at school.  Sensitivities to different foods may trigger flare-ups of eczema.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents trust can identify the specific foods that your child is sensitive to by performing the needed skin prick tests and/or blood tests.  Avoidance of the foods that the child is sensitive to will reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms.  Our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA people admire may also prescribe topical medications in order to reduce the severity of the rash as well as oral medications in order to diminish the itching.

Our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents respect is happy to answer any of your questions you may have about your child’s condition relating to environmental, food, medication, and/or insect sting allergies.  Our allergy specialist is also happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding asthma, eczema, hives, soft tissue swellings, or any other allergic condition you would like to discuss.

The board certified allergists at Black & Kletz Allergy have expertise in diagnosing and treating all types of allergic conditions and asthma.  The allergy doctors are board certified and treat both adult and pediatric patients and have been doing so in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area for more than a half a century.  Black & Kletz Allergy has offices in Washington, DC, McLean, VA (Tysons Corner, VA), and Manassas, VA.  Our McLean, VA office and Manassas, VA office are both equidistant to Ashburn, VA.  All 3 of our offices have on-site parking.  For further convenience, our Washington, DC and McLean, VA offices are Metro accessible.  Our McLean office location offers a complementary shuttle that runs between our office and the Spring Hill metro station on the silver line.  For an appointment, please call our office or alternatively, you can click Request an Appointment and we will respond within 24 hours by the next business day.  If you or your child suffer from allergies, we are here to help alleviate or hopefully end these unwanted symptoms.  Black & Kletz Allergy is dedicated to providing the highest quality allergy care in a stress-free, caring, and professional environment.

Black & Kletz Allergy has more than one pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents have long trusted for many years.  Black & Kletz Allergy has office locations in McLean, VA, Manassas, VA, and Washington, DC where children and adult patients of all ages are treated.

Our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents know, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of all allergic and immunological disorders in both children and adults.  Our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA know has received years of specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders and has decades of experience evaluating and managing children and adults of all ages.  The allergists at Black & Kletz Allergy are board certified in both pediatric and adult allergy and immunology.  Our pediatric allergists take great pride in educating the parents in proper home care for their children who have allergies, asthma, and immunological disorders.

Some common allergic and immunological conditions managed by our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA know and rely on include asthma, allergic rhinitis (i.e., hay fever), hives (i.e., urticaria), soft tissue swellings (i.e., angioedema), sinus problems, generalized itching (i.e., pruritus), recurrent infections, poison ivy, food allergies, medication allergies and reactions, eosinophilic disorders, vaccine questions, and flying insect sting reactions (e.g., bees, wasps, yellow jackets, hornets).  In addition, skin rashes including eczema (i.e., atopic dermatitis), contact dermatitis, and insect bite reactions are other conditions treated by our pediatric allergist Ashburn VA inhabitants believe in.

Allergic disorders are caused by a malfunctioning of the immune system.  The primary purpose of the immune system is to protect us from infections and tumors.  However, sometimes the immune system mistakes harmless substances such as pollens, dust mites, molds, pets, and certain foods as potentially harmful and thus mounts a defensive attack on them, causing allergic disorders.  The exact cause of this “mistaken identity” is not known, but genetic factors are believed to play a role, as these disorders tend to run in families.

When a child or adult is exposed to the substances that he or she is sensitized to, the immune system activates certain cells, which then release a variety of chemical mediators that are responsible for the symptoms experienced by patients.  These mediators include histamine, leukotrienes, prostaglandins, and related substances.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residence trust at Black & Kletz Allergy can test the child or adult to detect and identify the specific substances in the environment and food that the child or adult is sensitized to.  By avoiding the exposure to those specific allergens, one can minimize the frequency and severity of the untoward reactions that are typically realized when one has allergies.

When avoiding the exposure to allergens is not feasible or possible, the pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents have faith in, will prescribe medications in order to help alleviate the bothersome symptoms.  These drugs may include antihistamines, decongestants, anticholinergics, leukotriene antagonists, and/or anti-inflammatory agents.  First generation antihistamines such as Benadryl (i.e., diphenhydramine) has a short duration of action and has a potential to cause drowsiness, potentially interfering with a child’s learning at school.  Second generation antihistamines (e.g., Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec) are long acting (i.e., can be dosed once a day) and are generally non-sedating.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA know and trust will give the children and their families, detailed information about various medication options and will also provide prescriptions, if needed.

Anti-inflammatory medications include oral, inhaled, intranasal, intraocular or topical agents.  Oral anti-inflammatory medications may include leukotriene modifiers such as Singulair (i.e., montelukast) and/or corticosteroids such as prednisone.  Singulair can be taken long term for the control of asthma, seasonal allergies, and hives in both children and adults.  However, prednisone is usually prescribed short term only in view of the potential adverse effects of long-term usage.  These side effects may include susceptibility to infections, weight gain, cataracts, and glucose intolerance.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA admire may prescribe short term prednisone courses for the control of flare ups of asthma, hives or occasionally in severe acute contact dermatitis.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are also used as inhaled medications for long term control of persistent asthma in children and adults.  The goal of asthma treatment is to employ the lowest possible dose of an inhaled corticosteroid needed to adequately control the persistent asthma.  The pediatric allergist Ashburn VA residents respect will offer detailed information about the suitable doses of appropriate medications for sufficient control of your child’s or your asthma.

In addition to medications, allergy shots (i.e., allergy injections, allergy immunotherapy, allergy desensitization, allergy hyposensitization) has been used to treat allergies and/or asthma for more than 100 years.  Allergy injections are effective in 80-85% of the patients that take them.  The average course of allergy immunotherapy is usually between 3-5 years.  Rather than treating one’s allergies and asthma with medications, allergy immunotherapy gets more to the root of the problem by helping to prevent the allergic symptoms that are so bothersome to allergy sufferers.

The board certified allergy doctors at Black & Kletz Allergy will promptly answer any questions you may have regarding any allergy, asthma, or immunology.  Our allergists have been diagnosing and treating pediatric and adult allergies in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area for more than 50 years.  We have 3 convenient locations in the Washington, DC regional area with offices in Washington, DC, McLean, VA (Tysons Corner, VA), and Manassas, VA.  We have on-site parking at all 3 locations and both our Washington, DC and McLean, VA offices are Metro accessible.  There is a free shuttle that runs between our McLean, VA office and the Spring Hill metro station on the silver line.  To schedule an appointment, please call us at any one of our 3 locations.  Alternatively, you can click Request an Appointment and we will respond within 24 hours by the next business day.  Black & Kletz Allergy is dedicated in providing the most up-to-date diagnostic and treatment options in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology.