Allergies
OVERVIEW ALLERGY TREATMENT
Sneezing, wheezing, and trouble breathing are all symptoms of allergy and sinus problems that probably affect you or someone in your family. Allergy treatment from acute to chronic sinus infections and mild to severe allergic reactions, our skillful team of doctors will be prepared to treat you in Frisco or South Fort Worth, TX at iCare ER & Urgent Care. We will be able to recommend whether you should be treated in the urgent care center or the emergency room, depending on the severity and health risk of your sinus infection or allergic reaction.
Allergies come in many different forms and can cause a variety of reactions, from mild seasonal allergies to severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis. Most immune systems can destroy foreign substances and differentiate between harmful and harmless. Those with allergies, however, have immune systems that overreact to foreign substances, sometimes in extreme ways. Such allergies are listed below:
SEASONAL ALLERGIES
Seasonal allergies are often caused by pollen, dust, oak, or grass and occur at any time of year.
FOOD ALLERGIES
People can experience a range of reactions to food when they have an allergy. Reactions can be an uncomfortable sensation in the stomach to an immune response that shuts down an airway. The most common food allergies are allergies to shellfish and fish, eggs, milk, wheat, soy, nuts, and sulfites.
ANIMAL ALLERGIES
Many patients are allergic to the dander of animals (dogs or cats), which can cause a significant reaction on the skin, in the lungs, and in the eyes.
INSECT BITES & STINGS
We see patients with critical reactions to bites or stings by bees, wasps, hornets, and fire ants. Allergies to insect stings or bites can cause a local reaction (like extreme swelling) to causing the airway to close and constrict breathing.
CHEMICAL ALLERGIES
Exposure to certain perfumes, creams, cleaning agents, detergents, shampoos, and more can cause mild to severe allergic reactions to the chemicals in the product.
SINUSITIS
Sinusitis or a sinus infection is a painful inflammation of the air-filled cavities within the face. Caused by either bacteria or fungi, the infection blocks the flow of mucus to the back of the throat through the sinuses, causing swelling and pain. A sinus infection lasting 3 – 8 weeks is considered acute, while symptoms that last longer than 8 weeks are considered a chronic sinus infection.
If you think that you may have a sinus infection, you should come into iCare ER & Urgent Care so that our physicians can help you with the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Tenderness of the face
- Coughing
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Redness
- Runny nose
- Nasal stuffiness or congestion
- Discolored nasal discharge
- Pain in the teeth and gums
- Bad breath
Most often, sinusitis caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics, but our physicians may also prescribe other remedies such as nasal decongestant sprays, antihistamines, topical nasal corticosteroids, antifungal agents, or nasal saline washes.
MEDICATION ALLERGIES
If you were given a prescription for a new medication you have never taken before, it is possible for you to have an allergic reaction. The most common medication allergy is penicillin, and a severe reaction can be life-threatening. iCare will see patients with this type of medication reaction.
SEEKING ALLERGY TREATMENT
People can experience a vast range of allergic reactions, from mild to severe. When you come into iCare, our team of physicians will determine whether your reaction should be treated in our urgent care or in the emergency room.
Mild symptoms often include sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, a rash, a runny nose, nasal congestion, or slight swelling. More severe symptoms can include the above reactions, combined with a tingling in the mouth, intense swelling of the lips, tongue, face, or throat, nausea and vomiting, chest tightness, wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, stomach pain, diarrhea, or vasodilation. For severe reactions such as anaphylaxis, this usually involves an epinephrine injection to relax the muscles in order to allow you to breathe. For less severe allergic reactions, treatment can involve allergy shots — usually for allergic asthma, insect stings, hay fever, or other medications.
WHAT TO EXPECT – ALLERGY TREATMENT
After reviewing your medical history and performing a physical exam, our physicians will treat your symptoms.
While some forms of sinusitis and allergies are mild enough to handle at home, some require that you come into the iCare center for treatment. If a sinus infection lasts longer than 8 weeks, you should seek medical treatment, as some sinus infections can spread to the bones or, in severe, life-threatening cases, to the brain. If drug therapy has failed to reduce your sinus infection, our team can help to determine if sinus surgery is necessary with lab tests in our CLIA/COLA-certified laboratory.
For allergies, sudden and severe symptoms should be treated immediately at iCare, especially if these symptoms include difficulty breathing. Most often, we will treat severe allergic reactions in our 24/7 emergency room. For milder reactions, our team can help identify the cause of your allergies and treat the symptoms in urgent care.