For many living in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, seasonal allergies can be a hassle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that more than 50 million people in the US have allergies, which occur when a person’s immune system reacts to a substance he or she comes in contact with. These substances, referred to as allergens, are typically harmless substances such as dust, pollen, pet dander and certain types of food among other things.
Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) is proud to offer comprehensive allergy testing on the 9th floor of the PMC Clinic building. Here, providers offer two types of allergy testing, percutaneous and intradermal. Both methods involve introducing a variety of allergens just below the top layer of the skin and monitoring for an allergic reaction which typically happens within 15 minutes.
“Finding out what someone is allergic to is an important first step to effective allergy treatment,” said PMC Otolaryngologist William Hoskins, DO. “When combined with a detailed medical history, allergy testing can identify specific things that trigger allergic reactions. Things are much different now than in years’ past when the allergy testing experience was uncomfortable. We now provide a topical ointment to apply on the skin prior to arriving at our office which numbs the skin prior to the beginning of the test.”
Allergic reactions occur when the body attempts to fight off the allergen as if it were a germ. This reaction can appear as sneezing, itching, swelling, vomiting or more serious reactions such as hives or difficulty breathing.
PMC’s 9th floor clinic offers allergy testing for adults and children and is one of the few allergy treatment centers in the region offering medication, weekly allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy, which is an alternative way to treat patients without injections.
For more information on allergy services performed at PMC or to make an appointment, call 606-430-2210 or watch the short video below on allergy services available at Pikeville Medical Center.
