An allergy diagnosis and treatment plan is a complex process, but specialty ear, nose and throat physician’s offer a different and more accurate approach for patients than general allergists. An ENT physician follows certain guidelines established by the Academy of Otolaryngic Allergists or AAOC. Allergies typically affect the throat, nose or ears of children, teenagers or adults, and physicians trained in these areas of the body can learn about a patient’s primary and secondary symptoms to create a treatment plan.

Allergies are conditions caused by a hypersensitive immune system that reacts to everyday substances to cause uncomfortable symptoms. The common substances that cause allergy symptoms are ingested, breathed or touched. Most individuals have mild symptoms that occur occasionally or seasonally while other people have life-threatening reactions that require emergency treatment. Hay fever, for example, is a reaction to plant pollens that may occur in the spring or autumn, leading to nasal congestion, runny nose or sneezing. Today, physicians realize that serious ENT disorders are often associated with allergies.

Some of the conditions that an ENT specialist looks for include:

• Skin eczema
• Chronic fatigue
• Headaches
• Asthma
• Tinnitus
• Hearing Loss
• Chronic sinusitis
• Dizziness

Suncoast ENT Surgical Specialists, located in Spring Hill and Tampa, is committed to assisting patients with allergic ENT disorders. Our ENT allergists are board-certified Otolaryngologist/Head and Neck Surgeons, meaning that they are general ear, nose and throat specialists with additional training in the field of allergies along with an understanding of neck and head anatomy. With this combination of training, patients receive treatment for allergy symptoms, as well as a variety of other specialized treatments such as polyp removal, middle ear treatment tubes or surgery on the nose and sinuses.

Allergies cause a wide range of symptoms, and patients have their own set of symptoms that depends on the level of exposure, type of allergy and the patient’s immune system. At Suncoast ENT Surgical Specialists, the physicians identify the sources of allergic responses to ensure effective treatments that reduce symptoms.

One in five Americans is affected by allergies, accounting for approximately 58 million people in the country. The most common symptom is allergic rhinitis or hay fever caused by inhaling everyday substances such as mold, dust or pollen.

A patient’s response to an allergic rhinitis episode varies from mild to severe with symptoms that include:

• Migraines
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Hives
• Itching in the ears, nose or throat
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose
• Watery, red, itchy or swollen eyes
• Breathing difficulties
• Sore throat
• Postnasal drip
• Ear infections or discomfort
• Mild fever

Patients may have symptoms year-round caused by pet dander, dust mites or household dust. Alternatively, seasonal allergy symptoms may occur due to exposure to particular types of pollen.