managing healthcare in a new town

Moving to a new town comes with a lot of tasks to get done. Not only do you have to get all of your belongings moved, but you have to make changes to your medical care facilities. So, when you get to your new home town, do you know what health care clinics you can rely on for the care of your family? Will you couple your family's healthcare with both a clinic and a PCP? This blog will give you several suggestions about how to manage the changes in your family's healthcare adaptations to ensure you receive the best possible care in your new home town.

Immunotherapy May Control Your Allergy Symptoms

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You may think allergy shots are just for kids, but that isn't true. Adults can benefit from this type of allergy treatment too. Allergies can develop at any age, and whether your allergies are new or you have battled them for years, receiving the shots could help you control your symptoms. The shots work for a wide range of allergens, but they are not helpful for food allergies. Here are some other things you should know.

Understanding Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy involves injecting increasingly larger doses of allergens over a period of time so your body becomes accustomed to them, and doesn't react as severely when you are exposed. These allergy shots work to prevent and reduce your symptoms. They shouldn't be confused with injections used to treat an allergic reaction. They are two different things. If you're having an allergic reaction, your doctor may give you a shot, but it is to control the swelling and relieve your acute symptoms. Those shots contain drugs like epinephrine or cortisone rather than allergens.

When you undergo immunotherapy, you'll go through two phases of treatment. During the initial phase, you'll receive the shots frequently, maybe as often as a couple of times per week. You may get a generalized solution that contains a wide variety of allergens, or your doctor may create a custom solution for you based on the results of your allergy tests. After a few months of frequent shots, you'll enter the maintenance phase, and the number of your shots will reduce to a few weeks apart.

The frequency of your shots and the length of time you have to take them depends on the severity of your allergies and how well you respond to the shots. Your doctor will determine this as you undergo the therapy. If your allergies are severe, you may need more frequent shots. If you respond well to the shots, you may be able to stop them after a few years. However, it's possible you'll need to stay on a maintenance dose to keep your allergies under control.

Deciding If Immunotherapy Is Right For You

Immunotherapy requires a time commitment that may be difficult for you to manage if you have a busy lifestyle. For at least a few months, you'll make frequent doctor visits for your shots. While the shots don't take long, you'll need to wait in your doctor's office after you get one to make sure the allergens don't trigger a reaction.

If allergy medications aren't very effective, or if you're concerned about taking medications for the long term, then it will probably be easier to make the time commitment to go through the shots. Also, you need to consider the length of your allergy season. If you only endure symptoms for a couple of months in the spring, you may decide to tough it out. But if you have triggers for several months of the year, getting allergy shots may be the best way to prevent chronically itchy eyes and a stuffy nose.

The first step is to visit an allergy doctor for testing. Once you know what triggers your allergies, you can decide if it is possible to simply avoid the allergens, or if you'll need treatment of some kind. Undergoing a series of allergy shots may be the best solution for your symptoms. Visit Allergy & Asthma Clinic of Wyoming LLC for more information.

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21 August 2015