What is a Board-Certified Allergist?

Board certified allergists are specialists who have met the highest level of nationally-recognized standards for education and expertise in the field of allergy, asthma and immunology. This formal and lengthy education process is necessary to cultivate the expertise required to provide the highest-quality of care for patients with allergies and asthma. By achieving board certification, allergists demonstrate their commitment to excellence and expertise in their field, which translates to state-of-the-art, evidence-based care.

What are the Benefits of Seeing a Board Certified Allergist?

Board certification tells you that your doctor has attained the highest level of expertise to treat your health issues.

How do you find a Board-Certified Allergist?

When you start searching for an allergist/immunologist, it’s important to make sure you find a doctor you are comfortable with and you can trust. Search online for information about the doctors you are considering and ask people you trust for names of physicians they recommend. Then visit Certification Matters and enter your doctor’s name to determine if he or she is board-certified. This is a service that allows you to see if a specific doctor is certified.

Can you detect allergies through a blood test?

Yes. When you become allergic to an allergen, your body creates special antibodies to fight against it. These allergic antibodies are called IgE antibodies. IgE antibodies are formed in the bone marrow and travel in the bloodstream before being deposited in the skin and other tissues where they remain for weeks to months. Although allergy skin tests are considered the gold standard for allergy testing, blood testing can also be used to measure IgE antibodies circulating in your bloodstream

What types of tests are there for allergies?

There are three main ways to get tested for allergies: Skin Tests – Skin tests are commonly used to identify many potential allergens, including airborne, food-related, and contact allergens. Blood Tests – If you are not a candidate for an allergy skin test, your allergist may suggest a blood test. Elimination Diet – To detect which foods are causing an allergic reaction, your allergist may recommend an elimination diet. This involves removing certain foods from your diet and determining if you're symptoms improve, and then adding the food back to see if you have a reaction.

Do allergy tests hurt?

The skin prick or scratch test and intradermal test may cause slight discomfort. If you are sensitive to any of the allergens being tested, your skin may itch where the allergen was placed.

How can you treat non-life threatening allergic reactions at home?

The first step is to avoid the allergen if you know what triggers a reaction. But if an allergic reaction occurs, there are several ways to treat them at home: Antihistamines – Helps treat minor allergic reactions regardless of the cause. Anti-inflammatory Medication – Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) can help temporarily reduce allergy symptoms. Saline Sinus Rinse – If your allergies cause sinus problems, it’s recommended to rinse your sinuses with saline to clear the allergens from your airways. Skin Allergy Treatments – If a skin allergy occurs, you can apply corticosteroid creams or calamine lotion to reduce symptoms, an ice pack can also help reduce inflammation and allergy symptoms.

How long does an allergy test take to administer?

Not very long. The skin prick and intradermal tests are performed in the allergist’s office and take about 20 minutes total. Your skin may start to show reactions to certain allergens such as foods, environmental allergens or insect venoms. Patch tests are used to identify if a chemical may be the cause of delayed skin rashes. The patches are applied and worn for about 48 hours and then removed. Blood tests results may take up to a week to return from the laboratory.

Are hay fever and allergic rhinitis the same thing?

Yes, allergic rhinitis is simply the proper medical term for hay fever. “Hay fever” is somewhat of a misnomer since allergic rhinitis is usually not caused by hay, nor does it result in a fever.

When is hay fever the worst in Jacksonville?

The mild temperatures in Northeast Florida mean that trees start producing spring pollen early in our area– in some years as soon as December. Unfortunately, the Jacksonville area does not really have a hay fever “off-season.” Our warm winters and early springs mean that allergic rhinitis sufferers may be exposed to pollen year-round.

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Thomas Lupoli, D.O.

Tips for Preventing Asthma in Children

Watching any child suffer from asthma can leave a parent feeling helpless. Thankfully, there are a few things a parent can do to prevent asthma in the first place.

By becoming familiar with the most common asthma triggers, a parent can learn to identify and prevent asthma in their child.

Allergies

Does your child sneeze when he pets a cat? Does she come home with puffy eyes and a slight wheeze every time she returns from her friend’s house? Your child might suffer from allergy induced asthma.

Allergies are a very common trigger for asthma, causing a child to progress from allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, puffy eyes and sneezing, to restricted breathing or even an asthma attack.

Familiarizing yourself with the most common allergies – such as dust, mold, pets, and pollen – and keeping a journal or mental note of when and where your child’s asthma flares up, can help you determine which allergies your child might have. Keep in mind, sometimes a child’s allergic reaction will be strongest immediately upon leaving the environment to which he or she is allergic.

Finding it difficult to figure out what things your child might be allergic to? Allergy testing by a board-certified allergist can immediately identify pertinent allergic triggers.

Once you’ve figured out which allergies your child has, discuss how you can work together to avoid environments that cause allergic reactions.

If she’s allergic to dogs but loves playing at a friend’s house who has a dog, suggest they play outdoors instead of indoors.
If you find he has a mold allergy, teach him to identify mold and avoid the places that have it.
If dust is a problem, buy hypo-allergenic products to make her bedroom(where she spends at least one-third of the day) a healthier place for her.

Avoiding exposure to allergens not only prevents an immediate reaction, it can make a significant difference in your child’s health over the long term as well.

Cigarette Smoke

Even a few seconds of second-hand smoke can be enough to irritate the airways of a child with asthma. Exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy has been linked to the development of allergies in children.

If you or your child are exposed to cigarette smoke on a regular basis, consider making changes.

Exercise

Does a short game of tag leave your child coughing or wheezing? They might be suffering from exercise-induced asthma. The majority of those with asthma experience symptoms during exercise.

If you notice your child suffering from asthma after running around the yard or during gym class, discuss with your doctor what you can do to lessen the symptoms when your child is active.

Poor Air Quality

For those who do not suffer from asthma, perhaps the least obvious trigger is the air we breathe: in our homes, at our parks, and in our schools.

According to the American Lung Association, over half of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. Over time, polluted air irritates the lungs and reduces lung function, making a child with asthma even more prone to attacks.

Though it’s often not possible to move to an area with better air quality, there are things you can do to significantly improve air quality for your child. Install a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom and have an indoor air quality check in your home, also check the local air quality index (AQI) before deciding which days are better suited for outdoor activities and which days might be better spent at home.

If you’re concerned about your child’s asthma, contact us to get started on a prevention plan.

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