Is it an allergy or sinus trouble or both? For the most accurate therapies, consult West Coast ENT Head & Neck Surgery in Thousand Oaks. The team of seven otolaryngologists can differentiate between the conditions which cause your symptoms and get you the relief you deserve.

Which is it?

The American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy states that people who suffer with allergies, and the resulting overproduction of histamines, may also have sinus problems--repeat infections, structural problems, and continual inflammation. Additionally, one condition may be confused the other.

The doctors at West Coast ENT Head & Neck Surgery can sort it all out. They perform complete ear, nose, throat examinations, note patient symptoms, do imaging, and endoscopic examination of the sinuses and often recommend allergy testing. With their findings, they formulate the right sinus and allergy therapies for their Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Camarillo, and Simi Valley patients.

Allergy therapies

There are many therapies to help people deal with the sneezing, runny nose, itching and watery eyes characteristic of allergies. One of the most important is identification of triggers. What things does a person ingest, breathe in, touch or just live with which may precipitate the body's overproduction of histamine?

Common triggers are pet dander, mold, pollen, peanuts, shellfish, milk, and tobacco smoke. Carefully noting symptoms helps identify triggers, but allergy testing in the office renders more accurate results.

Other therapies can include:

• Antihistamines
• Allergy shots (minute amounts of allergens injected to desensitize the body's immune response)
• Decongestants (oral or nasal sprays)

Sinus therapies

Sinus infections may be acute or chronic (repeated again and again) and feature symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, sneezing, headache, fatigue, and runny nose. Your ENT doctor may advise antihistamines and decongestants or something simple called nasal irrigation (saline water washed through the nose with a Neti pot).

With active infection, antibiotics may help, although physicians are wary of their overuse. While most sinus conditions do not require surgical intervention, some do. Examples are nasal polyps and deviated septum.

We can help

Please don't suffer with allergy and sinus symptoms. At West Coast ENT Head & Neck Surgery, we pinpoint the problem and get you on the path to wellness. Call (805) 379-9646 for our Thousand Oaks, CA, office, (805) 527-7320 for our Simi Valley, CA, office, (805) 983-0395 for our Oxnard, CA, office, or (805) 484-5929 for our Camarillo, CA, office.