One in 5 Americans suffer from allergies including indoor/outdoor, food & drug, latex, insect, skin and eye allergies. Understanding the cause of your allergic symptoms is our specialty. In Austin, allergies often spike when allergens such as cedar pollen, grass, ragweed and mold bring on symptoms like watery eyes and sneezing. The abundance of outdoor activities in Austin can also pose more serious dangers for people who are allergic to certain foods or stinging insects.
Through state-of-the-art testing at Allergy & Immunology Medical Center, we can effectively diagnose what does and does not trigger your symptoms. So you don’t have to get rid of your cat if it is actually mold that is causing your itchy eyes and throat. Once you learn exactly what you are allergic to, AIMC works with you to create an effective treatment plan to reduce or eliminate your allergy symptoms.
What are Allergies?
Allergies are a disorder where the immune system overreacts to a normally harmless substance called an allergen.
The immune system overreaction is called hypersensitivity. Hypersensitivity can occur to many substances including animal dander, chemicals, medicines, latex, foods, grass and tree and weed pollen, insect stings, and even metals. Once the body misidentifies a material as an allergen, the immune system’s reaction against the allergen is the cause of the symptoms of allergy.
The symptoms of allergy are numerous and may include:
- difficulty breathing
- fatigue
- loss of consciousness
- nasal congestion
- nausea
- rash
- runny nose
- sneezing
- tongue or throat swelling
- vomiting
- watery or itchy eyes
- wheezing
The symptoms individual experience depends on the type of allergy and the severity of the allergic response. The severity of the allergic response varies from person to person.
Individuals that develop allergies have a genetic predisposition. However, genetic factors alone are not sufficient and a person must also have exposure to become allergic. In fact, there must be an initial exposure that triggers the immune system to identify the allergen and then with subsequent exposures to the allergen, the individual experiences allergic reactions and allergy symptoms. Some individuals are allergic to one or very few things while others are allergic to many things. The number of allergies a person has depends on their genetic background, the function of their immune system and their environmental exposures.
People who have allergies can live healthy and active lives with proper medical care.
Allergy Services
- Allergy Skin Testing (Scratch/Prick and Intradermal Testing)
- Animal Dander Allergy
- Drug Allergy
- Drug Challenge and Desensitization to Aspirin, Antibiotics, Other Medications
- Food Allergy
- Food Challenge
- Hay Fever and Pollen Allergy
- Immunotherapy (Allergy Injection Therapy) Traditional, Rush, Accelerated-Rush Schedules
- Insect Allergy
- Latex Allergy
- Mold Allergy
- Occupational Allergy