By our Smarty friends at Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A.
Spring is almost here! Some of you will love watching the trees turn green and the plant life come back, but some of you will be looking at it with a sense of dread because you know that means one thing: allergies. Today we want to offer you five steps to help you get relief during the coming season.
Get tested: The first thing to do is find out exactly which allergens are bothering you. CEENTA does both skin and blood tests, and once they’re done they can begin developing a treatment plan for you.
Avoid the allergens: One of the easiest ways to reduce your allergy symptoms is to practice avoidance techniques. If possible, don’t go outside in the early morning, when pollen is at its heaviest. You can check the pollen count daily online. Also, keep your windows shut. This will keep pollen outside, where it belongs.
Rinse with saline: Rinsing your nasal passages with saline after spending time outdoors flushes the pollen from your nose, which minimizes your contact with allergens.
Take your medicine: For some people, over-the-counter medicines will be the best treatment. Nasal steroid sprays such as Flonase, Rhinocort, and Nasacort are all equally effective, safe, and not addictive. Nasal steroid sprays help reduce inflammation related to nasal allergies.
CEENTA ENT doctor Michael Falcone, MD, also recommends taking antihistamines, such as Allegra or Claritin. They offer short-term allergy relief by blocking histamines, the chemicals your body creates when it comes into contact with pollen or other allergens.
Michael Falcone, MD
Come for immunotherapy: If allergy sprays don’t work and you’re just not feeling any relief, your doctor may suggest immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is when your doctor administers low doses of the allergen affecting you – usually through shots, but sometimes through drops or tablets under the tongue – to help your body build up an immunity against it. This increases your tolerance to the allergen and, in some cases, may even cure it.
If you think you have allergies and you want to start this five-step process, call CEENTA today at 704-295-3000 to make an appointment. With 18 locations across the Carolinas, springtime relief is conveniently close by.
Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates
