November 23, 2015 | Black & Kletz Allergy
Black & Kletz Allergy has a full time Spring allergy doctor Washington DC residence trust for the past few decades serving the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Some of the conditions diagnosed and effectively treated by our Spring allergy doctor Washington DC inhabitants admire are hay fever (i.e., allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis), asthma of various degrees of severity, acute and chronic urticaria (i.e., hives), angioedema (i.e., swelling of soft tissues), atopic dermatitis (i.e., eczema), and contact dermatitis (e.g., poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac). In addition, the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC admires also treats food, insect venom, and medication allergies.
Long-term nasal congestion, copious rhinorrhea (i.e., clear runny nose), sneezing, itchy eyes, red eyes, watery eyes, and itchy throat are some of the symptoms that the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC trusts is experienced in. These symptoms are usually a result of sensitization to the tree and grass pollens. Birch, oak, elm, hickory, and cottonwood are some of the trees that pollinate in the Spring in Washington, DC. Tree pollen usually begins to pollinate in early to mid-February in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area. It peaks in early April and gradually subsides by mid-May. Timothy, Kentucky blue, orchard, rye, and Bermuda grasses are some of the types of grasses that grow in our area. The grass pollen usually begins to pollinate in early April, peak in early May and gradually subsides by mid-July.
In genetically predisposed individuals, the immune system considers the pollen as potentially dangerous and mounts a defensive attack on the pollen. This “allergic reaction” results in a release of several chemicals, predominantly histamine, into the tissues, causing unpleasant allergy symptoms and causing misery to those inflicted with allergies and/or asthma.
For people who are sensitized to these pollens and suffer from these symptoms every year, the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC respects, who can be seen at any of Black & Kletz Allergy’s offices, offer the necessary diagnostic and treatment services. The diagnosis begins with obtaining a comprehensive history of the specific symptoms, their severity, frequency, and duration, followed by a thorough physical examination.
The Spring allergy doctor Washington DC trusts will probably perform prick skin testing with the common pollen antigens, where a small amount of the liquid antigen is introduced into the superficial layers of the skin with a plastic tooth pick-like lancet. The Spring allergy doctor Washington DC respects will then interpret the results after approximately 20 minutes by measuring the size of the wheal (i.e., small swelling) and flare (i.e., redness surrounding the test site). These measurements are then compared with the positive and negative control test results. A wheal diameter of more than 3 mm more than that of the negative control is generally considered a positive test.
A detailed explanation of the test results will be provided by the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC residents admire to the patient. Various ways of avoiding exposure to the offending agents such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores, and animal dander by way of targeted environmental controls will be explained by the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC inhabitants trust.
There are several medications both over the counter and by prescription that can be used to mitigate the symptoms of allergies. These medications may include oral pills, nasal sprays, and eye drops, among others. The Spring allergy doctor Washington DC trusts will give information about the over-the-counter medications and provide prescriptions where needed.
Many patients continue to have annoying symptoms in spite of rigorous environmental controls and proper medications. Some of them cannot tolerate the side effects of medications or do not like taking long-term medications. For those patients, the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC residents have confidence in offers a very effective long-term treatment approach called allergy immunotherapy. Allergy immunotherapy (i.e., allergy shots, allergy injections, allergy desensitization, allergy hyposensitization) is a process of desensitization by which the immune system learns to tolerate exposure to the previously sensitized substances instead of adversely reacting to them. This treatment method entails exposing the immune system to gradually increasing doses of the antigens at regular intervals beginning with a very small dose. At the end of the process, the patient notices a substantial reduction in the frequency and severity of the symptoms, decreased need for medications, and improvements in the quality of life. The average length of treatment is 3-5 years. Allergy immunotherapy works in 80-85% of the individuals who get the treatment.
Seasonal allergic sensitivities also play a role in flaring up asthma symptoms in susceptible individuals. At Black & Kletz Allergy, the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC inhabitants trust has the necessary knowledge, skillset, and long-term experience necessary to effectively manage allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and asthma, as well as other related disorders. The supporting staff working with the Spring allergy doctor Washington DC residents trust undergo rigorous training in order to provide the service needed to diagnose and treat allergies, asthma, and immunological disorders to state-of-the-art standards in a courteous and caring manner at Black & Kletz Allergy.
The board certified allergists at Black & Kletz Allergy located in the Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland metropolitan area will readily answer any questions you have regarding your allergy and asthma symptoms. We have 3 offices with locations in Washington, DC, McLean, VA (Tysons Corner, VA), and Manassas, VA. All of our offices offer on-site parking. In addition, the Washington, DC and McLean, VA offices are accessible by Metro. There is also a free shuttle that runs between the McLean, VA office and the Spring Hill metro station on the silver line. To make an appointment, please call any one of our 3 offices, or alternatively, you can click Request an Appointment and we will respond to your request within 24 hours by the next business day. Black & Kletz Allergy diagnoses and treats both adults and children and we are proud to serve the Washington, DC metropolitan area residents for which we have done for more than 5 decades.
