As spring unfolds in Jacksonville, NC, we see a rise in temperature, longer days, and more time in the sun. Although we enjoy this transitional season, we may not enjoy some of the symptoms that come with it.
Sneezing, watery eyes, rashes, and shortness of breath are just some examples of allergy symptoms that bring people into Coastal Carolina Internal Medicine. While we typically see more people coming to the office during seasonal changes, these discomforts can bother you year round.
The trick to finding the best allergy medication in Jacksonville, NC, starts with coming to our office for allergy testing. From there, we provide you with treatment options that will work best for you. In this blog, discover how our team provides each patient with personalized care to relieve their allergy symptoms.
What are allergies?
Allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to harmless substances in the environment. For example:
- Grass
- Mites
- Dust
- Trees
- Pollen
- Flowers
While allergies can impact everyone, a family history of allergies increases your risk. Symptoms range in severity, so you can test and find the solution, instead of waiting for them to pass.
How do allergy tests work?
We start with a consultation, where we listen to your concerns and learn about your medical history. Once we decide that allergy testing is right for you, we provide you with information regarding the preparation, testing, and downtime.
Before Your Appointment
Please discontinue antihistamine use 1 week before your appointment for optimal allergy testing results. If applicable, bring your EpiPen to administer after your test, so you feel better before you leave the office. We also recommend clearing your schedule and preparing for at least 45 minutes for the tests, and 1 hour of downtime afterwards.
Allergy Testing Appointment
Please arrive in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing for your allergy tests. During this appointment, we expose an area of your skin to seasonal and environmental allergens. From there, we can identify which stimulant causes a reaction and develop a personalized treatment plan moving forward. We will have your results within 30 minutes of the tests.
Allergy Relief Options
We may advise that you regularly use nasal sprays or humidifiers. We also provide immunotherapy for environmental allergens; this gradually exposes your body to the allergen to build up tolerance to the stimulant. We will monitor your results during a follow-up visit.
Recovery
Avoid rubbing the allergy testing area for 24 hours, and report back to us if you notice any prolonged reaction to the tests. You can use topical or oral antihistamines after you leave our office.
Find Wellness & Relief
Our wellness center aims to help improve your overall quality of life. That’s why we offer testing so you can find the best allergy medication in Jacksonville, NC. In addition to allergy testing, we also provide other wellness services like medical weight loss, as well as aesthetic services such as the Hydrafacial. For your comprehensive path to wellness, try our treatment planning tool, or book a consultation with us!
