Dr. Weisstuch explains the importance of testing for allergies. He also discusses different treatment options.
Shelby Stockton (00:00):
Welcome to the South Florida ENT Audio Blog. I'm your host, Shelby Stockton. And today I have the opportunity to sit down with otolaryngologist, Dr. Adam Weisstuch. Dr. Weisstuch explains why it's important to be tested for allergies and discusses different treatment options. He also explains the risks if patients neglect treatment over time. If you suffer from seasonal allergies and are curious about treatment options, take a few minutes out of your day to listen to Dr. Weisstuch's advice.
Hi, Dr. Weisstuch, how are you today?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (00:31):
Thanks for having me here today.
Shelby Stockton (00:33):
Thank you very much. We're going to talk about allergies. My first question for you is why is it important to be tested for allergies?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (00:40):
So there are a lot of patients that have allergies and allergic symptoms, and some of those patients are easily managed without being tested. But the patients that it's important to test are the ones that have significant or severe symptoms. And they're not being helped by general over-the-counter medications or avoidance of what they think they may or may not be allergic to. So it's important to test those people to find out what they're allergic to and how severe their allergies are so you can have a better treatment plan for them.
Shelby Stockton (01:12):
What are some treatment options?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (01:14):
So the range, as I mentioned a little earlier, you can try avoiding the things that you're allergic to if they're easy to avoid or minimal. There are over-the-counter medications like the oral antihistamines, the Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegras, there are nasal sprays that can be used, decongestants and then come the prescription drugs that you would have to get from your doctor, whether that be pills or sprays. And then there are allergy injections or allergy drops that can be used as a more focused treatment for allergies to treat specifically what the patient is allergic to.
Shelby Stockton (01:55):
Great. I'd like to focus on two of those things. What's the difference between allergy shots versus allergy drops?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (02:02):
Sure. Allergy shots or what they're sometimes called is SCIT, which is a subcutaneous immunotherapy, are what a lot of patients see as the traditional allergy immunotherapy treatment. Where what we do is we take small amounts of the antigens of what the patient is allergic to. So for example, if you're allergic to dust mites or certain types of grasses, we mix that into a shot and it's put in the patient in regular intervals and basically in small doses. But regular doses, it trains the body to stop overreacting to whatever the allergy that's being treated. Sublingual immunotherapy or allergy drops is the same concept with a different delivery method. So basically, those allergens are put in a formula that's able to be used in the mouth under the tongue, so it's absorbed in the body in a different way than shots. The advantage of sublingual immunotherapy is because it's simpler and safer given its dosage. It can be done at home and the treatment goal, and the outcomes should be similar between shots and drops.
Shelby Stockton (03:18):
So they're both just as effective.
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (03:20):
Yeah.
Shelby Stockton (03:21):
Are there any risks we don't get treated for allergies over time?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (03:25):
Sure, so allergies can affect multiple systems in the body. Prominently the pulmonary system, patients with asthma or any other kind of pulmonary conditions if they have allergies that are untreated can get worse. In our field, a lot of times we see patients whose allergies are poorly controlled, and they end up sinus infections or nasal polyps. There are also skin conditions, GI conditions that will all get worse if you have untreated allergies. And then probably the easiest one to sort of understand and explain is it's more of a quality-of-life issue. Patients who have their allergies untreated, they're just not as well, in general. And they don't feel well on a regular basis because the allergies are really affecting their entire pot.
Shelby Stockton (04:11):
One more thing before you go, what would you say to a patient who says, "You know what? I'm just going to continue to do over the counter." Is that a good thing or should they really come into the office?
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (04:22):
So if the patient is well controlled and their symptoms are not severe, a lot of times the over-the-counter medications are adequate. But often when you speak to patients like that, they'll tell you that they think they're well controlled, and then when you probe them on their symptoms or what's wrong, you'll soon find out that it's not enough. So a lot of those patients are not as well controlled as they could be. And then there's other kinds of treatment options that are safe and effective that can really fix their allergic problem as opposed to band-aiding it, which is what they're doing with the over-the-counters.
Shelby Stockton (04:56):
Awesome. Thank you so much, doctor, for taking time out of your day. You're helping a lot of people learn more about allergies and how they can help themselves, so thank you.
Dr. Adam Weisstuch (05:04):
And thank you for having me.
