Allergy Reactions
If you experience itching, swelling, rash, nasal or chest congestion, or shortness of breath, you may be having an allergic reaction. About thirty percent of all adults and forty percent of children experience allergy reactions.
Common allergy reaction triggers include airborne allergens, such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites and mold. Portland’s allergy season begins in February with trees and progresses into grass and weeds from July until September. Allergies to pets, dust mites and mold are year-round, so if you are having sniffles that don’t go away it is likely due to an allergic reaction. Allergies to insect stings and medications can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, in which the body goes into shock and breathing stops. Fortunately, there is an allergy treatment to avoid all of these reactions.
Allergy shots, or Immunotherapy, is the standard of care for environmental, stinging insect and medication allergy reactions. Dr. Fritz at Portland Allergy and Asthma offers traditional allergy shots as well as rapid, or cluster shots, which work three times faster than traditional shots. This method is recommended for those with life threatening allergy reactions and for people whose schedules don’t allow for more frequent visits.
The most common food allergies are peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, eggs and milk.
Food allergies can also cause life threatening allergic reactions. This can be controlled with food desensitization, or oral immunotherapy (OIT). Treatment with food desensitization involves feeding patients very small, incremental amounts of the food proteins to which they are allergic to, individually customized for each patient, and performed under physician care. Treatment typically concludes with the food allergen no longer being a danger to the patient. Dr. Fritz has been providing food desensitization for over ten years and has successfully desensitized more than ninety-five percent of his patients to the foods they have received allergy reactions to.
If you are suffering from allergies call Portland Allergy and Asthma at 971/358-5600 and let us show you why Dr. Fritz’s patients consider him to be the best allergist in Portland for allergy reactions.
