- Allergic diseases affect 1 in 5 Americans, and about 36 million people in the U.S. have seasonal allergies
- 20.3 million Americans report having asthma, and more than 70% of people with asthma also suffer from allergies.
- Immune system malfunctions can cause a wide range of conditions, including allergy, arthritis, and cancer.
Our Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology division concentrates on diagnosing and treating children and adults with these health issues. Our practice is built around you and your needs. We provide the excellent specialized care you expect, along with the fast, friendly, convenient service you deserve, at either of our two offices. We accept all major health insurance, and see patients via physician referrals or self-referrals, as their insurance permits. Here's a closer look at what we offer.
We diagnose and treat a wide range of allergies, including:
- Allergic conditions of the nose, sinuses, eyes, and ears
- Allergic diseases of the skin, such as eczema
- Food allergies
- Insect venom allergies and anaphylaxis
- Hereditary and acquired angioedema, a dangerous swelling of the soft tissues of the aerodigestive tract (air and food passages)
- Gastroesophageal reflux
- Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), a condition frequently associated with food allergies
How We Diagnose
We use a variety of methods to diagnose allergies. Quintip® technology by Hollister-Stier Laboratories is a patient-friendly, innovative skin testing technique. It makes testing significantly more comfortable, accurate, and reproducible than more traditional scratch testing . We also offer an array of laboratory tests, including RAST (blood) testing for food and environmental allergens.
How We Treat
Allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots) is one of the better options for patients with multiple and severe allergies and for patients who have exhausted all drug-based approaches to therapy. Patients receive shots containing gradually increasing amounts of allergen. For example, if you are allergic to pollen, your vaccinations will include pollen allergens. The end result is that you are less sensitive to allergen exposure.
We also educate patients on how to avoid allergens and better control their environment. We provide nutritional advice, or referrals to a nutritionist in the case of severe food allergies.
Asthma is an inflammatory airway disease in which allergies play a pivotal role. An asthma episode causes difficulty breathing, a tight feeling in the chest, coughing, and wheezing. Asthma can develop quickly and range from mild discomfort to life-threatening attacks where breathing stops altogether. Exercise induced asthma is growing in prevalence in both kids and adults and sharply limits their physical activities. Sometimes chronic cough is the only symptom, and many cases of the disease go undiagnosed. Another disease, called alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency, is a genetic condition that often presents as asthma in its early stages.
How We Diagnose
We perform pulmonary function testing in every patient with asthma age 6 or older. This includes bronchodilator challenge testing, a type of breathing test that helps us determine if a patient has airflow limitation.
How We Treat
We teach patients how to use nebulizers for asthma treatment and make arrangements with home care companies for nebulizer home delivery. We also provide detailed asthma home management plans to help patients manage and monitor this precarious breathing disorder. For patients 12 and older with moderate and severe allergic asthma where conventional methods are failing, we use a novel treatment involving injections of Xolair®. We determine the patient's medical eligibility, orchestrate the insurance coverage, and arrange monthly or biweekly injections as appropriate.
We diagnose and treat both primary and secondary immune deficiency states. Primary immune deficiency diseases are disorders in which part of the body's immune system is missing or does not function properly. In secondary immune deficiency disease, the immune system is compromised by factors outside the immune system, such as viruses, chemotherapy, and severe chronic diseases.
How We Diagnose
We perform an array of immunological tests as appropriate.
How We Treat
We initiate intravenous immunoglobulin infusions in patients with various forms of immune deficiency with the best available IVIG preparations on the U.S. market. We also arrange for home care companies to carry out home infusions, and ensure close follow-up at our clinic as well as laboratory monitoring of immune system response to therapy. | |
