Don't Let Environmental Allergies Get the Best of You!

San Diego Environmental Allergies Testing and Treatment with Modena Allergy + Asthma

Your eyes are watering, your nose is running, and you can't get comfortable no matter how many tissues you use or how high the temperature in your home gets. This can't be good!

So it's time to make an appointment with your San Diego environmental allergies expert for testing and treatment options, including immunotherapy and medical therapy by Dr. Brian Modena of Modena Allergy + Asthma.

What is environmental allergy testing?

Breathe Easier Today

Environmental allergy testing, or testing for allergies that are not food-related, is a process of identifying substances in your environment that trigger allergic reactions. Testing for environmental allergies typically includes skin prick testing and/or blood tests. These tests can be used to determine if you have an allergy to dust mites, cats, dogs, cockroaches, molds, pollens, and other allergens. From there, Dr. Modena will be able to customize a treatment plan that can help get your allergies under control and get you feeling better. This includes creating personalized immunotherapy treatment options, whether given by sublingual (under the tongue) drops or injections under the skin, based on your environment and region.

What are the benefits of immunotherapy?

Stop suffering from environmental allergies

When you develop an allergy, your body's immune system incorrectly overreacts to harmless substances, such as house dust mites or ragweed pollen. The goal of immunotherapy is to change your immune system so that this overreaction is lessened or even corrected. Immunotherapy works by exposing you to very small but increasing amounts of the exact allergens that cause your allergies. This is called inducing tolerance.

Over several months, your immune system starts building up a tolerance to these allergens, which then improves your eye and nasal allergies. The exact way that immunotherapy works is not entirely known. However, recent studies have shown that it likely works by stimulating and proliferating anti-inflammatory immune cells, known as T regulatory cells (Tregs) that go to the site of inflammation. This process may take months or years. The goal is to reduce symptoms while also reducing reliance on medications.

San Diego environmental allergies models smiling

Am I a good candidate for immunotherapy to treat my environmental allergies?

Eliminate Your Allergy Symptoms

Not everyone is a good candidate for immunotherapy. Determining whether or not you are a candidate for immunotherapy requires allergy testing and a discussion with a trained physician about the risks and expected benefits of this form of therapy. It will also require you to follow up with your physician to ensure your immunotherapy is working, whether it needs adjusting a little, or even whether you should consider stopping it. Your allergist will first perform allergy skin testing to determine whether immunotherapy is a good fit for you. Individuals with negative skin testing are much less likely to have success with either immunotherapy option. If you have negative allergy skin testing, meaning that the skin does not react to any allergen, such as pets, cockroaches, house dust mites, bee venom, molds or pollens, then it is unlikely to induce the type of immune response that would change your immune system.

The doctor will also ask about allergy medications that you have previously tried, for how long and consistently you took these medications. The doctor will want to know how well these allergy medications worked and whether or not they created any side effects. Sometimes, finding out (and avoiding) what you are allergic to, plus an as-needed allergy pill, may be enough to reduce your symptoms and live comfortably. If you have persistent allergies that are not well treated with first-line allergy medications or if you experience side effects that prevent you from taking these medications, immunotherapy may be a good option. Again, this will require testing, discussing the risks and expected benefits with your doctor, and making an informed decision together.

San Diego environmental allergies model smiling

Your Immunotherapy treatment

Treat Your Allergies For Good

Immunotherapy is one of the few things allergists can do to change your immune system (for the better!). There are two different types of immunotherapy: sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and subcutaneous (SCIT). Sublingual (Latin for under the tongue) is where a tiny drop containing allergen extract (e.g., pollens) is placed under your tongue and directly absorbed into the bloodstream. Subcutaneous (Latin for under the skin) drops are injected just under your skin with a thin needle. While sublingual immunotherapy is more convenient, it has been proven to be less effective and often more expensive for patients. Thus, most practicing allergists still favor the subcutaneous version of therapy. If you have allergies or asthma triggered by environmental allergens such as dust mites, pets, pollen, or mold, it may be worth looking into further.

Allergy Recovery

Add Some Spring Back Into Your Life

During the appointment, Dr. Modena will spend time educating his Environmental Allergy San Diego patients about the causes and symptoms of common allergies. Nasal allergies can change voice quality, cause fatigue or feelings of unwell, interfere with sleep, lead to sinus infections, and cause bothersome post nasal drip. Eye allergies can be particularly bothersome, limiting someone’s ability to have a pet, exercise, or enjoy the outdoors, and can even lead to serious eye conditions.

Dr. Modena will discuss the challenges he sees patients face while overcoming allergies and how he helps them overcome these obstacles and find lasting relief by offering various environmental allergy treatment options that fit your preferences and lifestyle. Dr. Modena treats all age groups but especially loves assisting children in coping with allergy symptoms to enjoy growing up in a safe and healthy environment. Having suffered from allergies and asthma himself as a child, Dr. Modena is passionate about helping people get back to enjoying life.

Allergy Treatment Results

Dealing With Allergies

At Modena Allergy + Asthma, we've had great success in helping patients combat environmental allergies with immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a natural treatment that helps retrain your immune system to no longer react as strongly to allergens (e.g., pollens, molds, dust mites). When taken consistently over time, your body will stop responding as frequently and intensely—and red, itchy eyes and sneezing episodes will be few and far between. Dr. Brian Modena has been practicing in San Diego for more than 16 years. He specializes in the treatment of eye, nose, ear, and throat symptoms using targeted allergy avoidance, medications, and personalized immunotherapy. For Environmental Allergies San Diego patients know where to go - Modena Allergy + Asthma!

Schedule your San Diego environmental allergy consultation with Modena Allergy + Asthma today

Live life to the fullest!

If your environmental allergies prevent you from enjoying your life to its fullest, Dr. Brian Modena will help give you control of your allergies. Your relief from allergy symptoms is our priority at Modena Allergies + Asthma in San Diego. So if you want your life back, schedule your consultation today!

Environmental Allergy

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I try immunotherapy instead of traditional treatments like pills, nasal sprays, or medication eye drops?

Dr. Modena will do a physical examination, perform skin testing, and then closely with you to find the most effective therapy. Immunotherapy is a natural way to retrain your immune system, and is one of the few treatments available that can retrain or change your immune system permanently. However, it is not for everyone, and you do not want to jump into allergy immunotherapy without knowing all the facts and without a detailed discussion with a trained allergist about the risks, benefits, chances of success, and alternative therapies that are possible. For many allergy sufferers, avoidance measures and medical therapy alone can be quite effective.

Does my insurance cover it?

Insurance coverage for allergy treatment varies from plan to plan, depending on the extent of the treatment plan. The Modena Allergy + Asthma team will be more than happy to assist in navigating your insurance plans.

Environmental Allergies in San Diego, CA