In Office Allergy Testing and Treatment
With years of experience and expertise in the field of allergy and immunotherapy Dr. Michael Bublik can help relieve your symptoms and get you back to enjoying your life again. If you are someone who suffers from chronic allergies please contact us today! (818) 649-1433.
Allergy Testing, Evaluation and Treatment
As an Otolaryngologist and Allergy Trained specialist, Dr. Michael Bublik is specialized in treating disorders related to nasal and sinus allergies. This is important because allergies are not isolated illnesses, but very often have associated sinus and nasal infections, and may accompany other obstructions such as polyps or deviated nasal septum.
As Medical Director of the Allergy Testing and Treatment Center, Dr. Bublik uses methods in the diagnosis and treatment of your allergies that are time-proven not only to identify the specific allergens that are causing your allergic reaction, but also to achieve quick, effective control. He also uses the most cutting-edge, painless, techniques for maximal patient comfort and satisfaction.
There are many methods of allergy testing. Among the more common are
- Skin tests
- Elimination-type tests
- Blood tests
Allergy Test Types
1. Skin Testing
We use a new relatively painless technique to test for allergies. Instead of using individual needles, we combine, it in one “patch” call a Comfort Ten tray which exposes the patient to less needles and is painless and well tolerated. This will pinpoint what you are allergic to. We always want to confirm that you are indeed allergic to what is found and therefore we follow this test by applying a small amount of an allergen (trees, weeds, grasses, molds, mites, dander, et cetera) just beneath the skin causing a small wheal or bleb. This is NOT painful. We allow the allergen to settle under the skin and measure the swelling in about 10 – 15 minutes. Depending on the wheal size, the next allergen will be either weaker or stronger. The amount of injections that you will receive depends on how you respond to the particular antigen that you are being tested for. Most of the patients, even small children, do rather well.
2. Allergens Tested
You will be tested for what is prevalent in the Los Angeles area. This includes seasonal allergens (Trees, Weeds, and Grasses). You will also be tested for perennial allergens (Molds, Mites, House Dust, Cat and Dog dander/hair) and common food allergens.
3. Allergy Treatment
Once we have the results of what allergies you have then we consider treatment options. One treatment option starts with avoidance strategies. This can be a very simple task if only one allergen is predominant, such as giving away the family cat or dog, getting rid of mold, et cetera. Avoidance or minimizing your risk for several indoor allergens can be accomplished. If your results show heavy indoor and outdoor allergy, then you may consider Allergy Immunotherapy, which has been used for over 100 years, but has now evolved into a relatively painless and pleasant procedure. Allergy shots or Immunotherapy build up your resistance to the things that cause your symptoms, so the next time you are exposed to them, they will cause you little or no trouble. Overtime the dose of allergens will increase which helps get the body used to the allergens (desensitization). Your immune system builds up a tolerance to the allergens and your allergy symptoms diminish over time.
People that suffer from other nasal symptoms that can be related to allergy, like chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps do very well as well. Patient have a significant improvement in quality of your life and often find they need less or no medicine than before to control your allergies.
Most patients really enjoy their appointments and think of it as a very pleasant experience. It is truly an interactive experience where patients are very involved in their care making it rewarding for everyone.