Allergy Testing, Treatment Now Available at BCFM
Boone County Family Medicine (BCFM), Boone, has implemented allergy testing and customized treatment services to its already extensive services offered to patients. They began offering the new service August 18th. The new allergy service includes the gold standard in testing and custom-formulated immunotherapy, an FDA approved method for desensitizing allergies over time that has been proven to effectively alleviate allergy symptoms for life.
We want the best possible care and treatment for our patients,” says Angi Ellsworth, BCFM Clinic Manager. “This new service can significantly increase our patients’ quality of life by reducing or eliminating allergy symptoms and discomfort.”
Patients who suffer from seasonal allergies can be tested at the clinic for the 48 most geographically specific mold and airborne allergens in the area. The medications, called allergy immunotherapy, are then custom-formulated based on the allergy test results and help desensitize patients to many of the pollens, molds and other triggers that cause symptoms.
This desensitization therapy can allow patients to be around those allergens without having an allergic reaction such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, congestion, sleepiness, headache and nausea.
Allergen immunotherapy is a form of treatment aimed at decreasing an individual’s sensitivity to substances called allergens. It involves introducing increasing amounts of allergens to a patient over several months. Immunotherapy is administered in the comfort of the patients’ home, instead of some common allergy therapies that require an appointment at the physician’s office, saving patients’ time and money.
“The testing is not painful. A tiny comb gently abrades the skin surface. After the test is performed, it takes about 15 minutes to develop. A positive test will appear as a raised, red bump on the skin, similar to a mosquito bite,” says Angi.
After a course of allergy immunotherapy, 80 to 90 percent of patients have less allergy symptoms, and in many cases their allergies have completely resolved.
For more information, or to make an appointment for allergy testing, please call Boone County Family Medicine at (515) 432-2335.