Getting your asthma symptoms under control starts with understanding your triggers. When you know what’s likely to cause a flare-up, you can follow a comprehensive asthma treatment plan that works for you. Allergy testing plays a vital role in this approach and helps uncover the connection between your symptoms and their causes. Let’s examine how allergy testing can help North Texas patients manage their asthma.
Why Allergy Testing Is Important for Asthma Management
At TexasAllergyMD we use skin prick testing to accurately diagnose an allergy. For patients with allergic asthma, this information offers valuable insights into why asthma symptoms may be getting worse, and how to prevent flare-ups.
Allergies Can Trigger Asthma Symptoms
Allergic asthma is a common type of asthma where allergens trigger symptoms like coughing, wheezing and breathing difficulties. Common triggers include pollen, dust mites, mold and pet dander. When exposed to these allergens the immune system overreacts, causing inflammation in the airways and difficulty breathing. For a person with asthma, this inflammatory response can lead to chronic symptoms and regular flare-ups. Through allergy testing, allergists identify the specific allergens triggering these reactions.
Allergy Testing Helps You Avoid Triggers
Identifying and avoiding allergy triggers helps break the cycle of anxiety-inducing asthma. For instance, if allergy testing reveals that tree pollen triggers your asthma flare-ups, your allergist can determine the best avoidance strategies to follow. These may include monitoring pollen counts, closing windows during high-pollen days, using air purifiers and so on. Combined with innovative allergy treatment, these lifestyle changes can dramatically improve the health and well-being of people with allergic asthma.
Allergy Test Results Contribute to Personalized Treatment Plans
Personalized asthma care plans are the most effective way to prevent asthma attacks and maintain long-term good health. Allergy test results play an important role in developing a plan that targets both asthma and allergies. By understanding your specific allergy severity, high-risk seasons (and the environmental conditions most likely to cause flare-ups), your allergist can recommend appropriate medication and prevention strategies to ensure better day-to-day management of the condition.
Testing Can Determine the Suitability of Desensitization Treatment
Immunotherapy is an important treatment option for many adults and children experiencing allergy symptoms. For those with allergies to pollen, dust mites, mold and pet dander, immunotherapy treatments gradually desensitize the immune system to reduce or eliminate reactions to allergens. Environmental sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) treats the underlying allergy. SLIT is a convenient at-home treatment that will also help prevent airway inflammation and chronic asthma symptoms. Allergy testing at your allergist’s office will help determine if you’re a good candidate for immunotherapy treatment.
Expert Allergy Testing Services in North Texas
Contact TexasAllergyMD for accurate testing services at our allergy treatment centers in McKinney/Prosper and Southlake. We provide innovative care for environmental allergies, food allergies and asthma in North Texas. Call (469) 375-1525 or request an appointment today.
