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Allergy Treatments Sept/ Oct |  | | By J. Allen Meadows, MD |
Treatment for Allergy: The Way I See It
There are three basic treatments for nasal allergies. The first are the pills. These are the easiest to take, but the least effective. Pills also offer the advantage of being relatively fast, but are generally not the first choice for long-term preventive treatment. Second are allergy shots, which are very popular therapy, but they take up to six months to begin working. Allergy shots are a unique option since they can change the patient?s immune system and, in many cases, will give a lasting immunity. However, there are significant risks associated with giving allergy shots, and the recent practice guidelines suggest that all allergy injections should be given inside a physician?s office. Allergy injections are also expensive and not well covered by the major insurers in Alabama. Nose sprays, particularly the steroid nose sprays, such as Nasacort AQ and Flonase, are the most effective treatments for nasal allergies; they are also the safest, and the most cost efficient. Nose sprays have the disadvantage of taking up to ten days to begin working, and a month to have a maximum affect. Many patients are afraid to use these products because of the term ?steroid.? Let me assure you, these are not the type of steroids an athlete would use. In fact, if an athlete wanted to get a benefit from them, they would need to inject them and, that would make them weak and not strong. This class of drugs has been around since 1972, and some of these are even approved for use in pregnant women by the NIH. Using a steroid nasal spray is about as risky as rubbing over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream on one?s skin. Despite some of the negative press they may have received, when taken on balance, prescription nose sprays represent the safest and most effective treatments available, when used at prescribed doses. At least 30% of the patients I see don?t have allergies at all, but a common condition called non-allergic or vasomotor rhinitis. Often these patients will need a combination of nasal steroid sprays and an antihistamine. Astelin is a unique antihistamine nose spray that is a particular favorite of mine in treating mixed allergic and non-allergic rhinitis.
Patients have many choices when seeking allergy treatment. I believe that all people with asthma & allergies should be able to live completely normal. If you are not able to do what you want because of your asthma or allergies, you may not be receiving the correct therapy. Many say that they treat allergies. When choosing someone to treat your allergies, consider this: Only board certified allergists have completed two years of intensive training to be experts in the field of allergy and immunology. There are four well-qualified board certified allergists in Montgomery, and only a total of about 4000 in the entire country. I am often asked if I can prescribe any different drugs than anyone else; the answer is no. However, I do know my drugs, illnesses, treatments, and tests much better than the average doctor. It would only make since, sense this is my full-time job. The bottom line is: see a certified specialist, get tested, get treated, and get better.
Opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. See your physician for advice specific to your needs. Find additional information at: www.eallergy.yourmd.com
J. Allen Meadows, M.D. is a Montgomery allergist, a Diplomat of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology, and a Fellow of the American College for Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is past president of the Montgomery County Medical Society, and the Alabama Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, and is currently on the Board of Censors of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.
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