If you\u2019ve suffered with allergies for years but have put off treatment and opted instead for over-the-counter remedies, it\u2019s time to get serious about treating your allergies. And no one\u2019s better suited to treat your allergies than an ENT allergy specialist. The good news is\u2014there\u2019s one right here in Cleburne.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ted Benke is an ENT or otolaryngologist, a doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the ear, nose and throat. But he\u2019s also your allergy specialist right here in Cleburne because that\u2019s precisely the area most affected by allergies. That\u2019s why an otolaryngologist is often called an Allergy Specialist\u2014because he is best suited to identify specific allergens and to help achieve effective control of allergies quickly.<\/p>\n
Allergies affect millions of children and adults each year. They can appear at any age and can even disappear in childhood only to reappear in adulthood. And, Benke says their symptoms can range from annoying to debilitating, if not treated.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the advances in allergy care over the last few decades, there are still only three basic approaches to treating them,\u201d Benke said. \u201cAvoidance of the offending allergens, which is the \u2018thing\u2019 the person is allergic to; pharmacotherapy, which is medication; and immunotherapy, which is desensitization to the trigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benke said when patients come in with allergy symptoms, he completes a series of allergy tests to determine what the patient is allergic to and then discusses treatment options with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people prefer to start conservatively by attempting to avoid grass if that\u2019s their trigger,\u201d he said. \u201cThey may have to hire a lawn service instead of doing their own lawn, for instance. But if they\u2019re allergic to mold or dust, it can be difficult so we may have them take a decongestant, antihistamine or prescription nasal spray.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, if avoidance and medication don\u2019t do the trick, we explain the option of immunotherapy, where we can alter the body\u2019s overactive response by carefully challenging the person\u2019s immune system through doses of the actual allergen that the patient is allergic to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benke said it may seem contrary, but this approach is very similar to vaccinations for infectious diseases, such as the flu, and over time it may be possible to actually alter a person\u2019s excessive response to the environmental antigens and both improve symptoms and decrease the need for medication and allergen avoidance for many years.<\/p>\n
Most people know that treatment as allergy shots, administered weekly in the doctor\u2019s office, and until recently, shots were the only form of immunotherapy. But now, Benke said, immunotherapy comes in a new form\u2014in an easier form. Allergy drops.<\/p>\n
\u201cAllergy drops work much like allergy shots, slowly desensitizing the patient to what caused the allergic reaction but they\u2019re delivered under the patient\u2019s tongue in liquid form that he can safely take at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benke said the allergy drops, like the shots, are custom-formulated based on the results of the patient\u2019s allergy testing and they can be effective on a broad range of allergies, including food and mold.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a convenient option for any patient, but especially young children,\u201d Benke said. \u201cAnd, they\u2019ve been proven especially helpful for children with eczema and recurrent ear infections, which often have underlying allergic causes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Benke said research shows that many children with untreated eczema and allergies often develop asthma and other chronic conditions later in life so treating allergies early can have life-long benefits.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve suffered with allergies long enough, call today for more information. The allergy specialist is in. Call Dr. Benke at 817-641-3750.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019ve suffered with allergies for years but have put off treatment and opted instead for over-the-counter remedies, it\u2019s time to get serious about treating your allergies. And no one\u2019s better suited to treat your allergies than an ENT allergy specialist. The good news is\u2014there\u2019s one right here in Cleburne. Dr. Ted Benke is an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Dr. Ted Benke is an allergy specialist right here in Cleburne because that\u2019s precisely the area most affected by allergies.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nose"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4954\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drbenke.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}