We offer a wide range of service to help diagnose and treat allergic and immunologic conditions. Dr. Nash is trained in performing and interpreting several diagnostic procedures, including allergy testing (both skin testing and laboratory testing of allergens), pulmonary function testing for asthma, food allergy testing, drug desensitization, allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots), and testing of the immune system.
In addition, Dr. Nash possesses in-depth understanding of the management of several recurrent or chronic conditions, including allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic cough, eczema, hives, angioedema, and acute and chronic sinusitis. Dr. Nash can provide education, including explanation of the disease process, risk and benefit of medications, and regular monitoring of patients.
Skin testing is useful for evaluation allergies to pollen, environmental allergens (cat, dog, dust mite), mold and foods. It is not painful and involves the application of small amount of the allergen placed on the skin. A positive response after 15 minutes indicates a person is allergic to the allergen. No response indicates no allergy exists to the allergen. These results can then be used to guide avoidance measures, medication use, and immunotherapy preparations.
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a class of antibody that has only been found in mammals. It plays an important role in allergies.
If skin prick testing cannot be performed the next option is to perform testing of the patient’s blood. The blood is analyzed for levels of IgE specific to the allergen in question. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts then your blood could be measured for presence of IgE specific to peanut. Presence of IgE specific to peanut would indicate you are allergic to cats.
This test is used routinely to test for respiratory disorders, including asthma. It can also be used in patients known to have asthma to help determine the severity which would then help guide treatment. It can be used also to help identify triggers of asthma such as exercise. It is a fairly simple test in which patients simply exhale through a mouthpiece and a computer analyzes the air flow to determine the function of the lungs.
Testing for food allergies usually involves a combination of skin prick testing and laboratory testing of allergens. A food challenge in the office could be necessary to help diagnose food allergy as well. A food challenge involves eating the food in question up to a certain amount and observing for symptoms.
This involves identifying the drug causing the allergy and determining the need for that drug by the patient. If the drug is needed then then a patient can be “desensitized” to the drug. This involves giving the drug as very small doses initially and gradually building up to the full dose while observing for allergic symptoms.
Allergen immunotherapy is useful for patients with allergic rhinitis, eye allergies, recurrent sinus infections, and asthma triggered by allergies. It can improve quality of life and reduce medication use significantly in patients with these conditions. Injections of allergens (i.e. pollen) are given at intervals of weeks to months. These injections cause the body to not respond to the allergen anymore.
Often a patient with recurrent or unusual infections needs to be evaluated for a disorder of their immune system. Common testing includes measurement of the different classes of antibodies made by our immunes system as well as specific antibodies made against previous infections or vaccinations. Further testing can be done to determine if various cells of the immune system are missing or are not functioning properly.
Just contact us at your convenience, we'll be happy to schedule an appointment for you.
10208 Cerny Street
Raleigh, NC 27617
(919) 806-8500
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