DeKalb Clinic Health Services

Treatment is available to ease your symptoms and make your allergies manageable. Call (815) 758-8671, Ext. 4200 today and make an appointment to see Dr. Peter Baum, the only Board Certified Allergist/Immunologist in DeKalb County.

Treatment
The DeKalb Clinic Allergy/Immunology Department's philosophy centers on preventative medicine. Rather than immediately placing a patient on allergen immunotherapy injections, a complete patient evaluation is followed by a regimen of environmental controls. If required, the judicious use of newer and safer medications may be initiated. If this proves insufficient, then the allergen immunotherapy may be used.

DeKalb Clinic has always believed in high standards of patient care. Our dedicated staff of RNs are trained specifically in the field and have an average of 25 years experience. The average visit to the Allergy/Immunology Department begins with an evaluation of the patient. A pulmonary function test or allergy tests can be performed in the same department, on the day of the initial visit.

The Allergy/Immunology Department also treats acute reactions to insect stings and may institute venom immunotherapy in select patients.

National Allergy Bureau
DeKalb Clinic was the last Certified Pollen Counting Station in Illinois. Clinic staff measure allergens in the air regularly. These allergy counts are reported to local radio stations; the National Allergy Bureau in Milwaukee; the National Weather Channel in Atlanta, GA; and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA.

The National Allergy Bureau has awarded the DeKalb Clinic a new Burkard Air Sampler. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, one in six Americans suffer from allergic disease. Many people don't realize they have treatment options and allergic disease can be managed. There are several allergic diseases. They are categorized by the allergen which causes the symptoms (animal dander) or by the symptoms as in Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever). Allergic disease can affect a part of or the entire body.

Common Allergens & Asthma Triggers include: Pollen, Mold Spores, Dust Mites, Animal Dander, Feathers, Foods, Viruses, Medications, Insect Bites/Stings, Air Pollutants/Fumes, and Household/Occupational Chemicals.

Unfortunately, there is an increasing prevalence of bronchial asthma - a leading cause of school and work absences. Dr. Baum has spoken extensively on the topic to groups such as the American Lung Association and Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc. to combat this alarming trend.

To receive proper treatment, it is important for patients to seek treatment from specialists intensively trained in allergy/immunology. An accurate diagnosis is essential to determine the appropriate, individualized treatment necessary.

Asthma
The number of children in the United States with asthma has been increasing for the past 20 years. In fact, roughly 1 in 10 children in the U.S. are affected by it. Asthma is also one of the main reasons why children are admitted to the hospital and forced to miss school. It is very important to know the warning signs of asthma to properly take care of your child's health. With the help of an asthma specialist, you can learn more about asthma and ways to prevent and treat the disease. Early prevention of asthma not only results in fewer trips to the hospital, but also results in a more happy and healthy child.

What is it?
Asthma is a chronic disease affecting the tubes carrying air to the lungs. Asthma causes the linings of the tubes to become inflammed and or narrowed. They may also become clogged with mucus. Cigarette smoke, dust, chemicals, allergies, and colds can be very irritating causing problems for children with asthma.

Warning signs of asthma
Common first signs of asthma in young children: coughing, particularly at night, noisy, strained, and/or fast breathing, easily and becoming out of breath Sometimes the only visible symptom may be a cough or heavy breathing. Symptoms are often different for each individual child. It may develop either rapidly or slowly and require different treatments.

For children over 5, it is also possible to measure the amount of air taken in while breathing with a device called a peak flow meter. Frequent readings from a peak flow meter determine if medication is helping or if the asthma is getting worse.

Children under 5 can also develop asthma, but it might be very difficult diagnose. Young children often have respiratory infections with similar symptoms as asthma so it is important to take your child to an asthma specialist as soon as any warning signs occur.

What do I do if my child has asthma?
The first thing to do if you think your child has asthma is to talk to your pediatrician. Your pediatrician or an asthma specialist can help you figure out what makes your child's asthma worse and how to reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks. Properly treating asthma will help your child run, play sports, and take part in other physical activities that would otherwise cause problems.

What is used to treat asthma?
There are several different kinds of medications. What is best for one child may not be the best for another, so your pediatrician, or asthma specialist, will decide what the best treatment is for your child. Asthma medications can be divided into 2 groups: Long-term and Quick relief.

Long-term Control: The use of of long-term prevention drugs reduces the inflammation, pain, and other symptoms of asthma.

Quick Relief: These drugs are called bronchodilators because they relax the muscles causing the airway to loosen and open up. These drugs relieve the wheezing and breathlessness associated with asthma attacks. Usually, these drugs are inhaled (either in aerosol or dry powder). The powder form cannot be used by younger children, but the aerosol form can.

How do I tell if the medication is working?
The Peak Flow Meter: The rate of air passing through the airways when a person quickly forces air out of the lungs and into the peak flow meter is the peak flow rate. There are several different kinds of peak flow meters, so it is important to use the same one each time to make sure the measurements are consistent. The doctor or nurse should demonstrate how to properly use a peak flow meter.

As your child's asthma gets better, the rates will increase. If the rates are decreasing, then the treatment is not working and the asthma is getting worse. These measurements help recognize when the air tubes are narrowing so you know when to start treatment. Also, these rates can identify some of the things that trigger asthma attacks so they can be avoided as much as possible.