Common Allergies and Allergy Treatment in Sugar Land, TX

400 Promenade Wy Ste 1500, Sugar Land, TX 77478, United States

Common Allergies and Allergy Treatment

When our body reacts to a (usually) harmless substance that it views as a harmful invader, that reaction is called An Allergy.
More than 50 million Americans suffer from seasonal or other types of allergies each year. Allergies are a leading cause of chronic illnesses and children are at higher risk targets of getting affected by allergies. Also, the odds increase for kids with one or both allergic parents to develop some kind of allergy.

We at Southwest Urgent Care can help you Diagnose, Treat, and Manage your common allergy symptoms most proficiently.

Urgent Care for Common Allergies

Here is a three-step guide followed under urgent care for common allergies.

Step I: Diagnose your Allergy

Correct diagnosis is the first step to effective disease management. Try to comprehend what type of allergy you might be suffering from. It may vary from seasonal to environmental or, in some cases, both or even more types of allergies.

Step II: Provide Treatment

Allergy symptoms can be very uncomfortable and or painful and it’s extremely important to treat them at your earliest.

Our providers at Southwest Urgent Care are capable of providing immediate treatment to relieve you from your allergy symptoms, 7 days a week.

Step III: Create a Treatment Plan For Allergy Relief

After urgent care, a treatment plan is a necessary step to ensure long-term relief from your allergy symptoms and suffering.

It has a few steps:

Addressing the identified problem in the patient.
Assessment- treatment options.
Defining and measuring interventions in care to provide treatment progress.
Highlight possible side effects.
Deciding on the expected length of treatment.

Allergy Symptoms

Our immune systems’ reactions to certain substances that may cause reactions are called allergens , which when triggered and the way our body react to these allergens is called an allergic reaction.

Note: Some allergies can trigger severe reactions requiring immediate medical attention. Act swiftly to ensure safety!

Allergy symptoms may range from mild to anaphylaxis or life-threatening. The most common symptoms of allergies are:

Hives (Rashy, red, or raised skin)
Ocular Pruritis (itchy, watery, red eyes)
Runny or stuffy nose
Sore throat
Pain or tenderness around your cheeks, eyes, or forehead
Swollen lips, tongue, face, or eyes
Wheezing or chest tightness, shortness of breath
Cough
Fever
Headache
Stomach pain/ cramps
Vomiting
Diarrhea

It’s suggested never to ignore even a minor symptom.

If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms, seek immediate medical attention as it might get worse over time, at times even in a few minutes or an hour.

Call our highly reliable Virtual providers or visit us as you may need immediate treatment in the Urgent Care facility.

Note: In case you feel like losing consciousness or having difficulty in breathing, call 911.

Common Allergies and Types of Allergies

Allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to allergens.

Sometimes, external substances comes in contact with your body and triggers an overreaction to substances you may find insignificant and harmless to most people.

Some of many types of common allergies are listed and explained below:

Food allergies
Environmental allergies
Drug allergies
Insect bites

Food Allergens

Certain foods can trigger an allergic reaction or other symptoms. A specific and reproducible immune response, an uncomfortable, severe, or mild reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food protein, is called a food allergy.

Food allergies may cause severe life-threatening anaphylaxis!

Any food item may be a reason to cause allergy in individuals, but the most common food allergens are:

Egg
Fish
Milk
Peanuts
Sesame
Soybean
Wheat
Fish (bass, flounder, and cod)
Shellfish (crab, crayfish, lobster, and shrimp)
Tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pecans)

Do you think you are allergic to one or more of these foods? Are you searching for effective, reliable treatment and relief for your allergic symptoms?

Book your appointment with our medical provider today or visit Southwest Urgent Care to get diagnostic testing and treatment for your possible Food allergens.

Environmental Allergens

When our body reacts to benign substances in our surroundings or everyday environment, environmental allergies are caused.
It takes time for our body to develop allergies to substances present in the environment, depending on if the allergen cause is present all year round or for a shorter period of a few months. Often, the risk of developing allergies is inherited from our parent(s).
Common environmental allergies include:

Pollen:

Present in our outdoors, Pollen, which is released into the air by trees, grasses, and weeds, is likely to cause classic nasal symptoms of environmental allergies.

Cigarette smoke:

Cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and shisha /hookah pipes; any type of smoke irritating to the respiratory symptoms may cause allergies.

You don’t have to be a smoker yourself! Passive smoking is not just unpleasant but equally dangerous and might cause allergies with other health issues too.

Dust mites:

These tiny bugs, barely visible to the naked eye, are smaller than 1 mm. They flourish in humid areas indoors and live in furniture and are one of the most common allergens that can be present throughout the year.

Mold:

This dust-like substance is formed by fungi. Humid and damp environments cause mold spores to grow rapidly.

Mold is found both indoors and outdoors and can cause severe allergic reactions.

Pet dander:

Animals with fur shed tiny bits of microscopic flecks of skin and hair, which remain suspended in the air for a very long period, triggering an allergic reaction in some people.

It is quite not possible to have a smooth lifestyle if you suffer from any type of environmental allergy, as it’s impossible to avoid our regular environment.

Treating the symptoms timely can promise a better lifestyle. So why wait?

Contact our helpful staff to get you connected to a medical provider here at Southwest Urgent Care and get a treatment plan today.

Allergies To Drugs

A drug allergy occurs when certain medications cause an abnormal allergic reaction or side effects in some people.

Our immune system rejects a medication and sends negative signals that cause chain reactions trying to defend itself, resulting in allergies.

Any medication category can cause an allergic reaction.

Over-the-counter
Prescription
Dietary supplements.

Triggered symptoms may vary from mild to severe anaphylaxis. Some medicines that are more likely to cause allergic reactions are:

Penicillin
Sulfa drugs -Antibiotics containing Sulphonamides
Anti-seizure drugs-Anticonvulsants
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Chemotherapy drugs

Note: Beware! Any or all medications have the potential to cause side effects.

Whether allergic or not, reactions to medications can range from mild to life-threatening. If you have had an allergic reaction to a medication in the past, it is essential to tell your doctor at every visit.

Insect Bite Allergies

Insect bites and stings can cause allergic reactions and may require immediate treatment.

The bites from the mentioned insects are very painful:

Bees
Wasps
Fine ants
Hornets

Some less painful would be:

Mosquitos
Bedbugs
Fleas and Flies

You could be having a serious allergic reaction if your mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat start swelling and may need immediate treatment in the hospital. Call 911 or get to the nearest Urgent Care!

Seasonal Allergies & its Types

Different Seasons may bring different sets of Allergens to our surroundings. We can divide it into 3 main seasonal categories:

Winter Allergies
Fall & Spring Allergies
Summer Allergies

Winter Allergies

No matter how much we love winters to enjoy indoors with hot chocolate and cozy reading corners, Cold weather and dry air can intensify respiratory allergy symptoms.

Common triggers for Chilly allergens months can be:

Pet danders
Dust mites
Mildew mold or fungus
Dryness in the air
Insect droppings

Fall & Spring Allergies

When certain plants pollinate in the spring and fall, a wide variety of allergic symptoms are caused.

Ragweed is the biggest allergy trigger in the fall. Upper respiratory desires are common in this season.

People allergic to pollen from plants can have similar fall and spring allergy symptoms. Such as:

Coughing
Sneezing
Wheezing
Watery or Itchy eyes

Suffering from these symptoms can be very unpleasant. Schedule a consultation with our certified physician and get your treatment plan now!

Summer Allergies

From June to September, summer allergy symptoms affect and disturb many, but we can’t let allergies ruin our summertime fun!

Southwest Urgent Care has a plan to tackle summer allergy worries:

Contact with certain plants such as poison ivy, pollen from trees, grasses, weeds, and other outdoor plants is the most common cause of allergic reactions during the summer months when we spend more time outdoors.

Additionally, allergies to certain raw fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, known as cross-reacting allergens, are prevalent in summer season.

Troubling plant pollens include:

Ragweed
Sagebrush
Pigweed
Tumbleweed
Lamb’s quarter
Kentucky blue
Rye
Timothy and more

Ask your provider for Seasonal Allergy treatments. Pay attention to your symptoms, and keep enjoying all seasons with your family!

Allergy Treatment Options

Diagnosis is the first step to a successful treatment plan. The proper diagnosis led to proper treatment!

Different Allergies can be diagnosed by analyzing and evaluating your symptoms with the help of diagnostic tests. Your provider may decide the process of diagnosing allergens depending on your medical history.

An allergist can help with tests like skin prick or a puncture or scratch test, which checks for immediate allergic reactions to as many as 50 different substances at once. We ensure that results are reported promptly for quick actions.

Once your provider is satisfied with the diagnosis of the underlying cause of your Allergy, treatment for your allergic reaction starts. Some of the several allergy treatment options available include:

1. Allergy Treatment with Medicines

The most commonly used medications for allergies are:

Antihistamines; over-the-counter and prescription-based
Anti-leukotrienes
Nasal steroids, corticosteroids
Nasal antihistamines
Nasal cromolyn
Decongestants

2. Nebulizer or Inhaler for Allergy Relief

Nebulizers and inhalers turn liquid medicine into a mist to be breathed into the lungs directly, providing fast relief.

Kids, especially, are treated with these tools as it is difficult to lure them to take oral medicines. Also, asthma medicines are usually in liquid form.

3. Emergency Epinephrine for Severe Allergic Reactions

An injection of epinephrine (Epi-Pen) can be a life-saver for immediate treatment of severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine works rapidly to improve breathing, stimulate the heart, raise dropping blood pressure, and reverse hives and swelling.

Southwest Urgent Care Telfair – Sugar Land provides Epi-Pens for both immediate use and to carry with you for ongoing protection.

4. Immunotherapy-Shots for Allergy Prevention and Treatment

It is a preventive treatment for different types of common allergies.

This process involves prescribing slowly increasing doses of a constituent, or allergen, to which the person is allergic. Such shots, when reacted to allergens can help your immune system desensitize or soothe the trigger in a span of 3 to 5 years.

Other Conditions Treated at Southwest Urgent Care

At Southwest Urgent Care, we can help you diagnose and treat seasonal or acute allergies.

Also, other related conditions addressed at Southwest Urgent Care are:

Mild asthma attacks & asthma symptoms
Rashes or skin infections
Wheezing
Eczema
Minor animal or insect bites/stings

Whatever the cause, allergies can make you feel miserable. To enjoy a healthy lifestyle, it is important to get treated. We here at Southwest Urgent Care can help you reach your goal by providing a treatment plan best suited to your needs.