Your child has a runny, itchy nose and just keeps sneezing every spring. Or, maybe, it's an indoor allergy to dust, and anytime your child is inside for prolonged periods you notice those nuisance symptoms coming on. Perhaps the problem is digestive and occurs when your child eats certain food.

At Everyone's ENT & Sinus Center, serving San Antonio, TX, and the nearby region, Dr. Christine Gilliam is helping children battle those allergies through allergy testing and a treatment plan, especially for his or her needs.

Allergy Testing 

Before our San Antonio, TX, ENT provides your child with a solution to combat those allergies, we must first conduct allergy testing to determine the root cause. We'll discuss any triggers you're aware of as well as when the allergies are occurring and how severe they are.

We may then recommend allergy testing to find the exact cause of the allergen and determine if more than one could be contributing to the problem. Depending on the type of allergy, we may recommend a skin patch test, which consists of our doctor exposing your child's skin to a small amount of an allergen and then waiting to see if your child has a reaction.

Blood tests are another option, and these are comprised of our specialist taking a blood sample and sending it to the lab to look for increased levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, an indication of an allergy. This particular test may be recommended if your child has a skin condition that could interfere with the results of a skin patch test. 

For a food or medication allergy, our physician may recommend a challenge test. During this diagnostic, our practitioner will have your child eat or inhale a small amount of the substance and monitor the results. 

Managing the Allergy 

Managing the allergy may be done through a medication that blocks the effects of histamine -- the substance that triggers the allergy symptoms. 

Sometimes, educating you about avoidance is the most practical solution. Let's say it's a food allergy. We'll inform you of all the foods you'll need to keep your child away from.

We can also desensitize your child through a process known as immunotherapy. We'll expose your child to a small amount of the allergen, not enough to cause a major reaction. Then, we'll continually up the amount of exposure until your child no longer has a reaction or as severe as one.

Everyone's ENT & Sinus Center, serving San Antonio, TX, has Dr. Gilliam -- a Board-certified otolaryngologist who can help with allergy testing and various treatments, especially for your little one. 

Book an appointment today at 210-647-3838.