Asthma & Allergy of Idaho

07/09/2022

Costco is having a sale on various allergy medications. What a great time to stock up, it’s hard to beat those prices!

06/03/2022

What Allergists Want You to Know About the 2022 Spring Allergy Season

1. Covid’s still a factor – As much as everyone wishes Covid were gone, it’s still present, and some Covid symptoms resemble allergy symptoms. Both Covid and allergies can involve a cough, fatigue, and headache. In addition, especially the Omicron variant can cause more nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, postnasal drainage, and symptoms of a sinus infection. Allergies, however, rarely involve a fever. If you think it might be Covid, get tested as soon as possible. If it’s not Covid and your symptoms have been dragging on for a while, consult an allergist who can do testing to see if you might be suffering from seasonal allergies.

2. Not all medications are equal – If you’ve used pseudoephedrine for your allergies in the past and found it to be effective, know that it has side effects. Pseudoephedrine is popular for helping to clear up congestion, particularly stuffy noses, but it is the main ingredient in methamphetamine – commonly known as “meth.” Pseudoephedrine has side effects including insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, and heart palpitations, and should not be taken if you are pregnant. It is only available by prescription or by specially requesting it from a pharmacist, depending on what state you are in.

3. It’s worth it to identify your allergy triggers – Not everyone is allergic to the same things. So seasonal allergies can look different for different people. Know what your triggers are to treat them properly. The “launch” of the spring allergy season depends on where you live. That’s a reason to see your allergist to pinpoint when your symptoms might begin. Due to climate change, most of the southeast sees spring in January now. Talk to your allergist if over the counter medicines aren’t helping.

4. Take a deep breath – or not – As tempting as it is in spring to fling open your windows and take a breath of fresh air, if you are allergic to pollen, you’re better off keeping windows closed. Breezes and open windows can bring in unwanted pollen that can make your allergies flare. Use your air conditioning in both your home and in your car to keep pollen out of your environment.

5. See your allergist early in the season – Allergists are specially trained to help you get tested, get treated and get better. They have many tools in their arsenal to deal with symptoms, including immunotherapy. One of the best ways to target your allergens is through immunotherapy. Immunotherapy – allergy shots or tablets – is designed to target your exact triggers and can greatly reduce the severity of your symptoms. Allergy shots and tablets can also prevent the development of asthma in some children with seasonal allergies.

10/29/2021

Stop by our Twin Falls office tonight for a little Trick or Treating.

04/07/2021

April is
Even if you take medication for your heartburn symptoms, disease can still develop.
Give our team a call to schedule your esophageal screening with the new EsoGuard DNA test.
(208) 734-6091

11/16/2020

11/16/2020

Come see us at our new location starting November 16th! And an extra special shout out to Olmstead Designs for all your hard work in helping us with the design for our office!

1502 Locust Street North Suite 600
Twin Falls, ID 83301

11/04/2020

We are Moving!!! New location in Twin Falls. Starting November 16th we will be in our new building. We are located right behind Home Depot.

Please share with all your friends so people know that we have moved.

1502 Locust St. N #600
Twin Falls, ID 83301

05/11/2020

Asthma & Allergy of Idaho patients: We will be opening up the Hailey office on May 18th. We want to thank everyone for the support and understanding during this time! If you have any questions please feel free to call 208-734-6091.

03/17/2020

https://community.aafa.org/blog/coronavirus-2019-ncov-flu-what-people-with-asthma-need-to-know

Updated 3/13: The 2019 new coronavirus (also known at COVID-19) is a hot topic in the news. Now that it has spread to the U.S., you may wonder if you should be concerned. It is a respiratory virus, meaning it affects the lungs, so what do people with asthma need to know?

03/16/2020

To our patients of Asthma and Allergy of Idaho and Nevada:

Obviously, the novel corona virus (COVID-19) that originated in China is grabbing the attention of the world. In order to better protect you and our medical staff from this virus, we are immediately implementing important exposure controls.

1. We are physically separating patients who have no active infectious symptoms from those who might have a cough or fever. In other words, if you come to us for a routine recheck or your allergy shot, you will not need to worry about being seated next to someone who is sick. We want you to feel safe continuing your allergy treatments with the clinic and we will do all we can to ensure that safe environment.

2. If you are sick with respiratory symptoms and call our clinic wishing to be evaluated, our front desk personnel will have one of our medical providers (physician or nurse practitioner) call you back on your phone to evaluate you before offering a clinic appointment. Based upon your symptoms, the provider will recommend appropriate treatment; this may include home care, over-the-counter or prescription medications, a clinic appointment or evaluation at your nearest emergency room. We will try to minimize your need to physically travel to ours or other healthcare facilities as our country tries to deal with this very contagious virus. If we ask you to come to our clinic to be seen, we may ask you to wear a face mask and will immediately place you in a private room upon your arrival. To better protect both our well patients and our staff, we will be making liberal use of over-the-telephone treatment.

The Center of Disease Control (ie: CDC) and our Idaho State Health Department both operate websites that contain a wealth of information regarding the COVID-19 problem. We are implementing safe medical practice based upon their guidelines. This virus is not “just a cold”. It is very contagious and risky for many groups of people we see in our clinics, including those over age 60 years and who have chronic lung or immune deficiency problems. We must protect them.

If you are not in these high risk groups, your risk of severe illness with COVID-19 appears to be fairly low...that is great news! However, you could pass this virus on to someone who will not do well if infected. Therefore, if you are sick, please be wise and stay home. Practice good cough etiquette if you have a cough and wear a mask if you must travel outside your home when ill. Review CDC information to keep your family members safe.

As a medical practice, as a community and as a nation, we will overcome this virus but we must be aggressive and smart to do so. Thank you for letting us help you with your healthcare needs!

Sincerely,

The staff of Asthma and Allergy of Idaho and Nevada