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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Jax Allergy

Is it a Rash or Chronic Hives? Here’s How to Tell

Chronic hives are more than an uncomfortable itch begging to be scratched. Often confused with other types of rashes, chronic hives are marked by frequent outbreaks that may not have an identifiable trigger.

This skin condition affects around 20% of the population at some point in their lives. While typically not life threatening, the repetitive nature of chronic hives can cause significant discomfort and affect a person’s quality of life.

Read on to learn how to identify this skin condition, its symptoms and the appropriate forms of treatment.

What are Chronic Hives?

Chronic hives, also known as chronic urticaria, are hives that come and go for more than 6 weeks.

It’s difficult to determine exactly why hives occur, though some sufferers may be able to pinpoint certain trigger foods, insect bites or medications as the cause. Chronic hives may also occur in conjunction with autoimmune diseases such as lupus, thyroid disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Other factors such as heat, stress, alcohol and even exercise can bring on a case of urticaria in susceptible individuals.

While anyone at any age can have a hive outbreak, it’s young adults and females that are most at risk for developing chronic hives.

What Do Chronic Hives Look Like?

pink and white welts from hives on back

Chronic hives often look like typical hives. An outbreak of hives can manifests all over the body but are usually most prominent on the arms, legs and torso. They typically produce pink, red and white puffy welts, which vary in size and shape. Some may be as small as a pen tip while others swell to the size of a dinner plate. Hives can form individually or connect to create larger patches.

The welts typically itch and may cause a brief painful, burning or warm sensation in the involved area.

How Can I Distinguish Them From Other Rashes?

Unlike other rashes, chronic hives often migrate around the body and usually respond well to allergy medications. Chronic hives are sometime associated with with angioedema, a form of tissue swelling that occurs deep in the skin. Angioedema causes swelling of the eyelids, mouth, hands, feet and sometimes can involve the throat.

The key difference between hives and other skin rashes is that each individual hive lesion rarely last more than 24 hours in one place and resolve without leaving marks or bruises. Most other rashes will last more than 24 hours in one spot and resolves slowly, leaving marks, discoloration or bruises.

How Can An Allergist Help Me Manage Chronic Hives?

Board-Certified Allergists & Immunologists are experts in the diagnosis and management of chronic hives. In addition to helping you better understand your condition, they can often identify common aggravating triggers for your rashes. Chronic hives can take weeks-years to resolve and often place a significant burden on quality of life. To make matter worse, over the counter medications can leave you feeling drowsy.

The good news is that there are several very effective, safe and well tolerated treatment options available. Your allergist can help tailor the best long-term treatment plan to assure you have the most symptom-free days as possible without undesirable medication side effects.

If you are suffering from chronic hives, contact our allergy specialists today and schedule a consultation to discuss the most effective treatments available for you.

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