Allergy Treatment And Care Online in California

Don’t Let Allergies Dictate Your Life

More than 50 million people in the United States experience different types of allergies each year. Imagine the pain that comes with the continuous sniffling and sneezing while getting all clogged up whenever you come in contact with the allergen. Although for many, allergies might be seasonal or mild, requiring just an extra tissue or occasional decongestant. For some, it could be so severe that it starts interfering with their daily lives.

Expect The Best Online Evaluations And Allergy Treatment Plans

Online Medical Clinics understand the difficulties associated with allergy identification since the signs and symptoms are often mistaken to be a common cold. Therefore, we offer an array of services starting from full diagnosis, evaluation to treatment plans to cater to your needs. So, whether you are looking for a mold allergy treatment, or have any queries about skin allergy treatment, or simply want to confirm if you require any allergy treatment, we are here to help.

Allergy Evaluation And Diagnosis

The first step to controlling your allergies would be to absorb as much information as you can. So, you can expect a comprehensive consultation with our physician. For that, you need to prepare a list of your symptoms (even the ones you feel are unrelated to your allergy), see if the allergies run in your family. Also, create a list of vitamins and other supplements along with their doses. Rest assured, all our allergy evaluations are carried out by board-certified healthcare providers. Upon assessments, the doctor will likely ask you to keep a detailed diary of your symptoms and possible triggers, especially if you have a food allergy. The doctor might also ask to undergo the following tests to confirm if you will need an allergy treatment. 

Skin Test: In this particular test, a doctor or a nurse will prick your skin and expose you to a small amount of proteins of potential allergens. So, if you have any possible trigger, you are likely to form a hive at the test location.

Blood Test: Certain immunoglobulin blood testing procedures (RAST or ImmunoCAP) will provide an amount of antibodies in your bloodstream triggered by a particular allergen.

A Word of Caution:

If you think you are in an anaphylactic shock, call 911. Don’t think of contacting doctors online. In the meantime, try using self-injectable epinephrine, if you happen to have one. Avoid replacing it with antihistamines. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Causes of Allergy?

An allergy happens when your body is exposed to a harmful substance that triggers your immune system to produce antibodies. So, whenever you are exposed to that allergen again, you will see a rush in the number of antibodies, such as histamine, causing allergy symptoms. Some of the common allergy triggers include airborne allergens such as pollen, animal dander, or mold. Food allergens could be peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, eggs, or milk. Sometimes penicillin-based medications can also turn into potential allergens.

What Are The Symptoms of Allergy?

There are many allergens involved that might affect your airways, sinuses or nasal passages, skin, and GIT. The resulting reactions can vary from mild to severe, and in some cases, it might also trigger a life-threatening reaction. Here are a few examples of reactions that you might come across.

Hay fever or allergic rhinitis can trigger sneezing, itching of nose, eyes, or upper side of the mouth. You might even have a runny or stuffy nose. Some might also have watery, swollen eyes (conjunctivitis). If you have a food allergy, you might feel tingling sensations inside your mouth along with swelling around lips, tongue, face, or throat. Some might even develop hives with chances of turning into an anaphylactic shock in extreme situations. There are a few cases of allergy that develop due to certain drugs that might result in itchy skin, rashes, facial swelling, wheezing, or hives. One could also find themselves with a red, itchy skin peeling or flaking off. This particular condition is a type of skin allergy, often referred to as Atopic dermatitis.

What is The Treatment For Allergy?

Whether you visit a doctor or talk to a doctor online, depending on the type of your allergy or the severity of your symptoms, he would recommend a treatment plan. So, whether you are looking for a mold allergy treatment, or want some inputs for pollen or skin allergy treatment or just want some insights about allergy cough treatment, the doctor would offer you one of the following options. Most of the options available are usually in the form of pills, liquids, inhalers, nasal sprays, eye drops, skin creams, or shots. Let’s move ahead and look for the options.

• Antihistamines

These medications block histamines, one of the immune responses released during an allergic reaction. You can find some over-the-counter oral antihistamines to ease your runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, or other signs. For instance, you might go for options that cause drowsiness such as Diphenhydramine, Chlorpheniramine. Or opt for the ones that are less likely to cause any such effects. These include Cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy), Desloratadine (Clarinex), Fextofenadine (Allegra Allergy), Levocetirizine (Xyzal), Loratadine (Alavert, Claritin).

Other than that, you can switch to nasal sprays if you want to relieve sneezing, itchy or runny nose. The doctor might prescribe you Azelastine or Olopatadine. However, if you have itchy or red, swollen eyes, antihistamine eye drops would do wonders for you. Your doctor might prescribe you one of the following options, Azelastine (Optivar), Emedastine (Emadine, Ketotifen (Alaway), Olopatadine (Pataday, Patanol, Pazeo), Pheniramine (Visine-A, Opcon-A).

• Decongestants

It is a medication that offers quick and temporary nasal or sinus congestion relief. However, they might cause insomnia or headache, and sometimes even blood pressure. Therefore, doctors never recommend this to pregnant women or people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, or hyperthyroidism. You go either go for oral options such as pseudoephedrine available over-the-counter or go for the prescription medications with a combination of a decongestant and antihistamine such as Cetirizine and pseudoephedrine (Zyrtec-D), Desloratadine and pseudoephedrine (Clarinex-D), Fexofenadine and pseudoephedrine (Allegra-D), or Loratadine and pseudoephedrine (Claritin-D). Also, if you think oral pills are working fine, nasal decongestant sprays will help you. These include Oxymetazoline (Afrin, Dristan, others) or Tetrahydrozoline (Tyzine).

• Corticosteroids

These medications relieve symptoms by reducing allergy-triggered inflammation. Based on your symptoms, the doctor would prescribe either of the following options. It might be a nasal spray to prevent or relieve stuffiness or a runny nose, for example, Budesonide (Rhinocort), Fluticasone furoate (Flonase Sensimist, Veramyst), or Triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour). If you don’t like liquid forms, you can opt for aerosol forms as well. For instance, Beclomethasone (Qnasl) could help you get better.

Decongestants are also a part of asthma treatment caused by the influx of airborne allergens. So, whether or not you have Asthma, doctors would prescribe you Beclomethasone (Qvar), Budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler), or Mometasone (Asmanex Twisthaler) to help you with allergies effectively. Sometimes you might fall prey to persistent itchy, red or watery eyes. Your doctor will prescribe you the following options to relieve your symptoms. These include Fluorometholone (Flarex, FML), Loteprednol (Alrex, Lotemax). However, if you have severe symptoms, doctors would use the following oral medications as a part of your allergy treatment—for instance, Prednisolone (Prelone) or Methylprednisolone (Medrol).

As a part of your skin allergy treatment, low potency corticosteroids will help you. However, it would be good to see a doctor online and let the doctor decide for you. You can be prescribed one of the following options, such as Betamethasone (Dermabet, Diprolene, others), Desonide (Desonate, DesOwen), Hydrocortisone (Cortaid, Micort-HC, others).

• Mast Cell Stabilizers 

These medications are useful by blocking the immune system chemicals causing allergic reactions. Doctors choose this option when antihistamines fail to work or are not well-tolerated. You can choose an over-the-counter nasal spray as a part of pollen or mold allergy treatment. Or switch to prescription eye drops like Cromolyn (Crolom) or Lodoxamide (Alomide).

• Leukotriene Inhibitors 

If your blood shows an increase in the levels of leukotrienes, the doctor might ask you to choose this type of medication. It will relieve your allergy signs and symptoms, including nasal congestion, runny nose, or sneezing. Only Montelukast is approved for the treatment of hay fever as a part of the allergy treatment protocol.

• Allergen Immunotherapy

It is a type of medication where you time exposure to allergens. It is given to the people who can’t avoid their allergens no matter what they do, for instance, in situations like pollen allergy or molds allergy. The idea is to make your immune system not to react in the presence of such allergens. Doctors often prescribe this option when all the above options fail to work. It might be given as an injection once or twice a week for approximately three to six months with a series of maintenance shots for three to five years. Or the doctor might prescribe sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), where you will place the tablet under your tongue and allow it to absorb. It is known to help reduce runny nose, congestion, eye irritation, or other symptoms.

• Epinephrine Shots 

These are emergency shots that are meant to treat anaphylaxis, life-threatening reactions. It comes in a self-injecting syringe and needle device. Doctors ask you to carry at least two such autoinjectors if you are likely to have severe allergic reactions. Other than that, it is vital to call 911 for immediate medical attention.

What Are The Lifestyle or Home Remedies For Allergy Treatment?

Many allergy symptoms can improve if you use specific home improvement protocols. For instance, if you have saline congestion or hay fever signs, you can rinse your sinus with salt and water solution. You can also use a neti pot to flush out thick mucus. If you have airborne allergy symptoms, reduce your exposure to dust mites or pet dander by frequently washing bedding and stuffed toys. You can also replace carpeting with hard flooring or start using HEPA filters. Also, in the case of mold allergy symptoms, you can reduce your allergic reactions by reducing moisture in damp areas such as the bath and kitchen. You can start using fans or dehumidifiers.

How to Prevent Allergy?

Although you can’t control everything, however, there are a few measures that you can use to prevent a future allergic reaction. For instance, start with avoiding known triggers such as pollen or dust. Maintaining a diary will help you note a list of things that might cause an allergy. This would be quite helpful when going for doctor consultations online. Also, if you have a severe allergy, a medical alert bracelet will let others know, especially during emergencies.

Living With Allergies. It’s Not Worth The Risk

Many people often do nothing when they come across a new or recurring allergy. You must understand that these allergic reactions can result in developing severe conditions such as Asthma. And if you leave your skin allergies untreated, they might develop into secondary skin infections that will harm you severely in the long run.

We, at Online Medical Clinics, will help you improve your quality of life. We will help you reduce the severity of your allergies with our patient-specific treatment plans. We will do whatever it takes for you to lead a better life. Let us help you through our avoidance measures, medications, and therapies.

Why Choose Us?

Online Medical Clinics has a team of licensed healthcare providers who will do everything in their capacity to find the root cause of your allergic reaction. Our approach varies from patient to patient depending on the type of allergy and the severity of symptoms. We understand that you might be worried about your details. Rest assured, we follow the guidelines laid down by HIPAA strictly. So, all your personal information remains confidential with us. Not only will we help you get your allergy treatment, but our customer support team will also answer all your queries and concerns. Saving your time and money is our priority.