Allergy Treatment & Prevention

Allergies are growing to be more common among children, causing issues ranging from watery eyes to shortness of breath. Fortunately, so have options for allergy treatment and prevention. Dr. Michael Taymor and Dr. Lama Rimawi, serving Palo Alto, CA, would like to help you better understand these important items.

Allergy Prevention

In order to prevent reactions, it is important to know what your allergies are. Sometimes, these are accidentally discovered from direct exposure, while a test can help us determine specifics.

From here, prevention is mostly about avoidance. Not everything can be avoided quite the same, though.

Pet allergies can most simply be avoided by not having a pet of that animal type. Sometimes, there is a little wiggle room. For example, there are certain breeds of dogs that are acceptable to those with dog allergies. Special shampoos may be used to eliminate pet dander. Sometimes, a shot is available for you to build a tolerance to the allergens of a pet.

Other allergies are unavoidable, such as pollen. The best option is to stay indoors and use an air filtration system. Some over-the-counter antihistamines may be able to keep symptoms to a minimum.

Allergy Treatment

Treating minor allergy symptoms can often be done using over-the-counter medications. Antihistamines and nasal sprays help with itching and sneezing, decongestants can help with coughing, and eye drops can help flush the eyes.

For more serious reactions, prescription treatments such as steroid shots may be made available by a doctor.

In extreme situations where the reaction is causing great pain, an inability to breathe, heart problems (irregular or rapid heartbeat, etc.), or other serious reactions, seek emergency care immediately. Whenever any major episode occurs, your child’s doctor should be notified - they may wish to perform an exam to ensure that there was no long-term damage.

Allergy Doctors

If your child has allergies and you would like to know more about allergy treatment and prevention, contact our Palo Alto, CA, office at (650) 321-7722 for a consultation so that our team can help you get your answers today.