Allergy Treatment Specialist
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Access Point Healthcare
Tarik Shaaban, MD
Board Certified Family Medicine Physician & Integrative Medicine located in Panama City, FL
Do you have allergies? If so, you’re not alone. Each year, more than 50 million Americans suffer an allergic reaction every year. Tarik Shaaban, MD, is an experienced family medicine physician at Access Point Healthcare. He diagnoses and treats food, pollen, and insect-bite allergies at his practice in Panama City, Florida. If allergy symptoms are affecting your health, call the practice today, or make an appointment online.
Allergy Treatment Q & A
What are allergies?
The immune system keeps you safe from disease and illness. Sometimes, though, the immune system identifies a harmless substance as harmful and attacks it, causing an allergic reaction. The substance that prompts the reaction is called an allergen, and the way your body responds is an allergic reaction.
You can develop food, pollen, and insect-bite allergies. Symptoms of these can include:
- Rashes
- Itchy eyes
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Inflamed airways
- Swelling
- Hives
- Anaphylaxis
Dr. Shaaban has spent years diagnosing and treating all types of allergies. If these symptoms sound familiar, reach out to him today.
How does your doctor determine if you need allergy treatment?
The first step toward finding an effective allergy treatment is to identify what’s causing your symptoms. Dr. Shaaban reviews your personal and family medical history, does a physical exam, and runs diagnostic tests like:
- Blood tests
- Skin prick tests (SPT)
- Patch tests
- Intradermal skin tests
- Physician-supervised challenge tests
Once Dr. Shaaban has found the substances you are allergic to, he creates a treatment plan to address your triggers and symptoms.
What are the different types of allergy treatment?
Not all allergies respond to the same treatment. This is why Dr. Shaaban offers several allergy treatments that ease symptoms and have you feeling well again in no time.
Medications
Some medications affect how your immune system reacts to the allergen, reducing the severity of your symptoms. These medications come in liquid and pill forms, as eye drops, and as nasal sprays.
Emergency epinephrine
Emergency epinephrine shots (AUVI-Q®, EpiPen®) treat severe allergic reactions until you can receive emergency medical care. Dr. Shaaban can prescribe that you carry an emergency epinephrine shot with you at all times.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a course of allergy treatment injections that you receive for several years to reduce your symptoms and build up long-term immunity. Success varies. For some, the treatment lasts for decades, while other people find their allergy returns once the immunotherapy stops.
Elimination or avoidance
If your allergy is triggered by something you have control over — your diet, for example — Dr. Shaaban will recommend that you eliminate or avoid the allergy triggers.
Allergies can affect your quality of life, but at Access Point Healthcare, Dr. Shaaban’s integrative approach to allergy treatment allows you to continue enjoying the activities you love. Don’t struggle with allergies. Make an appointment today by calling the office or clicking “Make an Appointment” on the website.
