[Music] hi i'm dr natalie miller and i'd like to thank you for choosing family allergy and asthma for your care since 1979 our company has prided itself on offering the most effective testing and treatment available from trusted board-certified allergists our goal is to help you find relief from the frustrating symptoms of allergies asthma or related conditions you are currently undergoing a comprehensive allergy skin test to determine your sensitivities this is the preferred method for diagnosing allergies due to its accuracy and immediate results depending on your symptoms you may be tested for outdoor pollen mold food
animal dander and more here's a list of specific allergens we may be testing for today so you may be wondering how we're able to tell what you're allergic to an allergy occurs when your immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous one and produces an antibody called immunoglobulin e or ige ige causes mast cells to release histamine and leukotrienes which are responsible for allergy symptoms a skin prick test is a series of small scratches on the back each containing a trace amount of a different allergen if your immune system is sensitive to an allergen
it will release histamine causing a small bump on the back that looks similar to mosquito bite within minutes this indicates an allergy additional intradermal testing may be done on the upper arm which can help confirm or rule out certain allergies depending on the results your doctor may recommend a treatment plan that includes allergen immunotherapy more commonly referred to as allergy shots you see we treat allergies in a three-tiered approach avoidance medication and immunotherapy avoidance is the best defense against bothersome allergens however most inhalant allergens like pollen mold or dust mites are nearly impossible to avoid
entirely medications like antihistamines and nasal sprays are capable of relieving some of the symptoms but they don't get to the root cause of the allergies plus many patients find they become less effective over time so when avoidance and medication aren't enough to control your symptoms then allergy shots are typically prescribed over time allergy shots will build up your natural immunity to the things you're allergic to when this occurs symptoms will lessen or disappear completely immunotherapy is the only treatment option that can stop the allergic process allergy immunotherapy has been used for more than 100 years
and the main benefit is symptom relief allergy shots are nearly 90 effective at significantly reducing symptoms within the first year studies have also shown that patients who receive immunotherapy are much less likely to develop asthma this is especially true for children with allergies another key benefit is that allergy shots generally reduce a patient's dependence on medication often to the point where medication is no longer needed it's worth noting that allergy shots are not a medication at all but rather a more natural approach depending on what you're allergic to you'll have custom allergy vials created for
you containing only the allergens to which you tested positive for instance if you're allergic to ragweed then ragweed extract which is a liquid that's been created from actual ragweed pollen is included in your vial if you're allergic to dust mites as well that extract will also be in the vial this is how allergy shots are able to treat multiple allergies there are two phases in the immunotherapy process buildup and maintenance during the build-up phase you'll be started at a low dosage of the allergens and gradually built up receiving increasing amounts until reaching an effective dosage
which is known as maintenance this is when you really should start to build up immunity while many patients see symptom relief during the buildup phase some may not until after reaching the maintenance dosage we offer three schedules to help patients reach maintenance our traditional program takes three to six months with the patient receiving shots two to three times a week during that period cluster which takes four weeks and involves one to two hour visits twice a week during that time and rush which takes just one full day appointment and involves receiving a series of shots
throughout the day talk to your doctor about which program would work best for you once at maintenance you'll receive an allergy shot once a week for the first year after that injections will decrease to once a month for those on the traditional program and for all shot patients who've reached maintenance no appointment is required to receive an allergy injection simply stop by scan in and most patients will receive their shot within about five minutes patients are recommended to be on immunotherapy for three years at which point many will see lasting results even after treatment is
finished all of our programs are fda approved and extremely safe in fact more than 99 of allergy shots are given without a serious reaction due to the very small risk of anaphylaxis all patients are required to carry an epinephrine auto injector and remain in the waiting room for 30 minutes after they're shot in case of any reaction due to its effectiveness all insurance companies include allergy immunotherapy as a covered service if allergy shots are recommended for you upon request we are prepared to provide you with a cost estimate within 24 hours this will help you
understand your insurance coverage and any out-of-pocket costs associated with our programs if you have any questions about immunotherapy or anything else please don't hesitate to ask your allergist will be in shortly to review your test results and discuss the best options for your treatment plan you'll be made aware of any allergies you have prior to leaving today again thank you for choosing family allergy and asthma
