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Wasatch Allergy and Asthma
Allergists located in Riverton, UT
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Seasonal Allergies Specialist

Seasonal allergies, more commonly known as hay fever, can severely impact your ability to function at home and work because of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, itchy/water (or itchy and dry) eyes, postnasal drip, ear fullness. Also. symptoms such as headache, fatigue, foggy-headed and malaise occur frequently. For adults, occupational function may suffer. For children, there may be difficulty with attention or attentiveness at school. If you have hay fever, there’s plenty that the experts at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can do to help. They have a team of allergy specialists, led by allergist Eric C. Chenworth, DO, at their offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, who have the expertise to help minimize and relieve the effects of seasonal allergies. In fact, with “allergen immunotherapy” (allergy shots), they can make you less allergic, resulting in decreased symptoms, less need for medication, and better quality of life. Find out more by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma or requesting an appointment online.

What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies are those that affect you at certain times of the year and are commonly referred to as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. You might be allergic to pollens, molds, or both. Your symptoms are most severe during the time of year when your allergen is present in the environment.

Spring allergies may start as early as February and continue until summer. Trees begin producing their pollen first, and then in mid-April, the grasses begin to pollinate. Grass pollen continues from spring, until early fall, with the worst months being May and June, followed by mid- August through September.

The weed pollen season beings in mid-August and can last until the weeds are covered by snow. The weed pollen season in Utah is dominated by sagebrush, tumbleweed (Russian Thistle) and relatives of tumbleweed. Ragweed and its relatives can also be a problem for some people, although other weeds tend to be worse.

Other plants producing pollen that can cause fall allergies include:

  • Burning bush (Kochia)
  • Cocklebur
  • Lamb’s quarters
  • Pigweed
  • Plantain
  • Sagebrush
  • Wingscale
  • Russian thistle (Tumbleweed)

Molds, which produce spores that can be windborne just like pollens, can be present spring through fall.

Why do I get seasonal allergies?
Allergies are a response that comes from your immune system when you come into contact with or breathe in an allergen. While normally a person’s immune system shouldn’t react to these allergens, if you’re prone to allergies, your immune system responds with an inappropriate inflammatory response.

Your body produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE), which leads to the symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as:

  • Sneezing
  • Stuffy Nose
  • Runny nose
  • Itchy throat
  • Itchy eyes

There is a genetic basis for allergies and related conditions, which is why those tend to run in families.

Trying to escape seasonal allergies by moving to a new part of the country is often not helpful, as there are environmental allergens almost everywhere.

How are seasonal allergies treated?
The first stage in treating your seasonal allergies is find out the cause of your symptoms. Your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma do allergy tests to confirm the cause, ensuring you receive the optimal treatment.

You and your provider can create a treatment plan and management strategy for your seasonal allergies. This could include environmental precautions, which will be tailored to your allergic sensitivities:

Medications such as antihistamines are often not adequately helpful. We will customize a medication plan for you that should provide relief from symptoms and control your allergic inflammation.

Allergen Immunotherapy (allergy shots) are the most effective long-term treatment option and can make you less allergic! It’s a long-term treatment that involves the administration of small but gradually increasing doses of proteins from the things causing your allergies tolerance to those allergens – in other words, you can become less allergic. The benefits of immunotherapy are fewer symptoms, less need for medication and improvement in quality of life.

Find out how to manage your seasonal allergies with a visit to Wasatch Allergy and Asthma. Call the office today, or you can request an appointment online.

Allergies Specialist

Allergies can cause seasonal afflictions like hay fever, as well as digestive upsets, skin rashes, and asthma. Wasatch Allergy and Asthma is a specialty medical center with offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah. The practice has a team of allergy specialists, including allergist Eric Chenworth, DO, that’s available to help you minimize and relieve the effects of allergies. Severe allergies can seriously reduce your quality of life and even prove life-threatening if you’re at risk of anaphylaxis. Take control of your allergies by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma, or you can request an appointment online.
What are allergies?
Allergies are a response by the immune system to a substance in the environment, called an allergen, that ordinarily wouldn’t cause a problem. Substances that may cause allergic reactions include:

  • Pollen
  • Mold
  • Pet dander
  • Dust mites
  • Foods
  • Insect venom
  • Medications

When you have an allergy, your body becomes hypersensitive to these substances, causing unpleasant and sometimes dangerous symptoms.

How are allergies diagnosed?
You might already have a good idea of what you’re allergic to. For example, if you start sneezing whenever you get near a cat or dog, pet dander is likely the problem.

However, allergy triggers are not always clear, so the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma needs to carry out some tests to determine the allergen(s) responsible for your symptoms.

You can undergo testing for allergies in several ways:

Skin prick testing

Skin prick testing involves putting a tiny amount of a potential allergen on your skin and then pricking the area, so the substance goes into the skin. Your provider observes the treated area for 15-20 minutes to see if there’s any reaction. Intradermal testing is similar but involves injecting the suspected allergen under your skin.

Patch testing

Patch testing involves wearing patches containing allergens on your back for three days. If you have allergic contact dermatitis or atopic dermatitis, your skin reacts to the patch to confirm the diagnosis.

Food or medication challenge

If you have a food or medication allergy, a challenge test is the best way to confirm the problem. The challenge involves ingesting small portions of the suspect food or medication and then gradually increasing the amount to see if there’s an allergic response.

Methacholine challenge

If you have asthma, an inhaled bronchial challenge test using methacholine can determine the level of irritability in your airways and assess the severity of your condition. You might also need to undergo breathing capacity tests.

What treatments are used for allergies?
Treatment for your allergy depends on the cause. For asthma, using inhaled medications is the most common approach. Rescue inhalers are used to treat acute asthma symptoms, and steroid medication is one of the most effective treatments for long-term management. You might benefit from taking antihistamines, and if you have a food allergy, you must avoid the food.

Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment approach to certain allergies in which you receive small doses of the allergen that triggers your symptoms. The idea of immunotherapy is to expose you to increasing quantities of the allergen over an extended period so that your body’s immune system learns to tolerate the substance.

You can have allergy drops (sublingual immunotherapy) where you absorb the allergen in drops that go under your tongue. Or you can have allergy shots, where your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma gives you a series of injections.

To find out more about diagnosing and treating allergies, call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today, or you can request an appointment online.

Asthma Specialist

Asthma is a widespread respiratory problem that can cause severe breathing difficulties. If you or your child has asthma or you’re concerned about symptoms, Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help. They have a team of allergy specialists, led by allergist Eric Chenworth, DO, at their offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, who have the expertise to help minimize and relieve the effects of asthma. Take control of asthma and improve your quality of life by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today, or you can request an appointment online.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It usually results from an allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity.

The bronchi are the airways in your lungs through which air travels in and out when you breathe. When you have asthma, your airways become hypersensitive, causing chronic inflammation. A trigger can set off an asthma attack, increasing the inflammation and causing the muscles surrounding the bronchi to constrict.

This means it gets harder to draw air into your lungs, which leads to the typical symptoms of an asthma attack, which include:

  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
  • Coughing

Asthma is a chronic, incurable condition, but with expert treatment and support from the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma, you or your child can learn to manage asthma successfully.

What causes asthma?
Asthma most often develops in children under five years old. The reason why some people develop asthma isn’t known for sure.

People who have a family history of asthma or allergies are more likely to experience these problems themselves. It’s also common for people who have asthma to have allergies as well.

You might develop asthma if your work involves breathing in potentially harmful substances like dust or pollutants. This is called occupational asthma. Another form of asthma is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), also known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA).

With EIB, your asthma symptoms only occur when you’re exercising or being physically active. As exercise is vital to good health, avoiding exercise to prevent an attack isn’t a good idea. If you have EIB, your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help you manage your symptoms so you can still exercise.

How is asthma treated?
The first stage in treating asthma is to assess how badly your airways are affected and how well you can breathe. To find out, the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma performs breathing capacity tests and an inhaled bronchial challenge test using methacholine.

Avoiding the triggers that cause asthma attacks can help reduce the number of attacks you have and give your airways some healing time. It’s also helpful to learn how to manage stress and cope with feelings of panic that can make asthma worse.

Most patients who have asthma typically need to carry a rescue inhaler at all times. The inhaler contains a medicated mist that you inhale into your lungs when you feel an attack coming on.

Another treatment for asthma is XolairⓇ (omalizumab). This is an antibody that can help reduce allergic reactions. Xolair is suitable for patients age 12 and older who have moderate or severe asthma due to allergies.

For more advice on living with asthma and the latest, most effective treatments, call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today or request an appointment online.

Hives/Urticaria Specialist

Hives (urticaria) is a common cause of skin rashes and swelling that usually develops after contact with an allergen. If you suffer from hives, the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help. With offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, Eric Chenworth, DO, and his team of allergy specialists have the expertise required to help relieve the effects of hives and address their cause. Find out more by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma or requesting an appointment online today.
What are hives?
Hives, also known as urticaria, is a common skin rash in which your skin starts to itch and develops pink or white, raised bumps, or swollen red welts. Hives can also cause a burning or stinging sensation. Around 20% of the population develops hives at some point in their lives.

Hives can be of various sizes from a few millimeters to several centimeters. A single hive typically fades over 24 hours, after which your skin goes back to normal without leaving a mark or bruise.

Sometimes a condition called angioedema occurs at the same time as hives. This causes swelling in the deepest layers of skin and underlying tissues. It can also lead to swelling of the airways that could affect your breathing.

What causes hives?
Many different substances and environmental factors can trigger hives, but most often, their cause is elusive. Most cases of hives that last less than six weeks (acute urticaria) are the result of an allergic trigger. However, hives lasting longer than six weeks (chronic urticaria) are rarely due to an allergy.

You could have chronic hives for many years before they go away. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports that hives resolve in half of patients within one or two years and that 80-90% of patients improve within five years.

You might go for long periods without any hives only for them to reappear months or years later.

How are hives treated?
Your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma is likely to prescribe antihistamines as the initial approach to treatment.

Antihistamine medication helps with itching and reduces the welts typical of hives. These treatments aren’t a cure but do resolve the symptoms. You might need to use several different antihistamines together for the best results.

The older, sedating antihistamines that cause drowsiness aren’t normally prescribed because now there are newer nonsedating antihistamines. Nonsedating antihistamines last longer and have fewer side effects.

If your hives don’t respond to antihistamines, an alternative is omalizumab. Your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma injects this medication under your skin once a month. Corticosteroids like prednisone or prednisolone aren’t suitable for long term use but may help with severe hives when used for a couple of days.

If you’re experiencing problems with hives, call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today to schedule a consultation or request an appointment online.

Exercise Induced Asthma Specialist

Allergies to dust, pollen, and other substances in the environment are common asthma triggers, but some people find that exercise triggers their asthma symptoms. If you start wheezing and coughing during or after exercise, the specialty medical center of Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help. They have a team of asthma specialists, led by allergist Eric Chenworth, DO, at their offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, who have the expertise to help minimize and relieve the effects of exercise-induced asthma. Find out more by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma or requesting an appointment online.
What is exercise-induced asthma?
Exercised-induced asthma (EIA) is a form of asthma in which narrowing of the airways in your lungs occurs when you exercise. Symptoms of EIA are the same as those for other forms of asthma, namely:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing
  • Tight chest
  • Coughing

Symptoms can start during exercise or within 20 minutes of stopping exercising.

Although commonly referred to as exercise-induced asthma, the preferred term for EIA is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB).

What causes exercise-induced asthma?
Asthma is a condition in which the airways in your lungs, called bronchi, start to spasm. This causes breathing difficulties as the muscles around the airways tighten.

Asthma usually develops when your airways become hypersensitive to allergens like dust and pollen. With EIA, it’s set off by strenuous physical exercise or airborne triggers that you encounter when you’re exercising.

Should I stop exercising if I have EIA?
Exercise is essential to good health and has many benefits, so you shouldn’t stop exercising. The answer is to find ways to exercise while reducing your risk of having an EIA attack.

The activities that cause the highest number of EIA attacks are those in which you’re regularly active for long periods, especially if it’s cold and dry. Sports that are most likely to induce EIA include:

  • Soccer
  • Basketball
  • Long-distance running
  • Ice hockey
  • Ice skating
  • Cross-country skiing

If you only exercise for short periods or do less strenuous forms of exercise, like walking, you’re less likely to experience an EIA attack.

The team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma has considerable expertise and experience in finding the right solutions to help you continue exercising and playing sports.

How is exercise-induced asthma treated?
In addition to helping you manage EIA with ideas on how to reduce your risk, for example, ways to avoid breathing cold, dry air, the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can prescribe medications:

Short-acting inhaled bronchodilators
These stop your symptoms immediately. You can take them 15-30 minutes before energetic exercise, and they typically prevent symptoms for up to four hours.

Inhaled corticosteroids
Corticosteroid inhalers help relieve the inflammation and narrowing in your bronchial airways. This is a longer-term solution that can take between two and four weeks to reach optimum potency.

Long-acting inhaled bronchodilators
You take these 30-60 minutes before exercise, and they help prevent symptoms for up to 12 hours. You should only take this medication once within any 12-hour period, and always with an inhaled corticosteroid.

Montelukast
Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor inhibitor that’s also FDA approved for treating EIA. You take the medication once a day to help prevent symptoms.

If you’re competing in sports, you must check with your governing body which medications are allowed before competing.

Find out more about EIA and how to manage it by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma or requesting an appointment online.

Angioedema Specialist

Angioedema causes rapid, sometimes painful swelling of your face and other areas, and it often accompanies an outbreak of hives. Wasatch Allergy and Asthma is a specialty medical center with offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, that has a team of specialists available to help minimize and relieve the effects of angioedema. If you have hives or experience angioedema without hives, call to schedule an appointment with Eric Chenworth, DO, or another member of the team today. Alternatively, you can book an appointment online.
What is angioedema?
Angioedema affects the deep layers of skin and soft tissues, causing pain, rapid swelling, and large welts like those you see with hives (urticaria). The swelling appears in areas such as the:

  • Eyelids
  • Mouth and lips
  • Throat
  • Hands and feet
  • Genitals

The swelling is due to a buildup of fluid. This fluid leaks out of blood vessels that have abnormally porous walls, which means they aren’t able to keep fluid in. Swelling in the throat can restrict your breathing and is potentially life-threatening.

What causes angioedema?
Acute angioedema is usually caused by an allergic reaction to a specific food or medication. Some common triggers for an attack of acute angioedema include, but are not limited to:

  • Insect bites
  • Foods: Nuts, eggs, milks, fruits, shellfish, or fish
  • Medications: Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), ACE inhibitors for blood pressure, codeine, or morphine

You might also get an attack of angioedema after an infection or when you have an autoimmune disorder. If you don’t know what triggers your angioedema, your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can run tests to find out.

Acute angioedema only lasts for a brief period, from minutes to a few days. You can also get chronic, recurrent angioedema. The cause of this is often unknown.

There is a hereditary form of angioedema (HAE), which is a rare genetic condition. HAE causes swelling in the intestinal wall, airways, face, feet, and hands that can lead to serious complications.

How is angioedema treated?
If your symptoms are only mild, you might not need any treatment. More severe symptoms benefit from prompt treatment, and if you have breathing difficulties, you should treat it as a medical emergency.

If you’re susceptible to angioedema, you need to avoid triggers that set off your attacks. You should also avoid taking any medications, supplements, or other therapies that aren’t prescribed for you by the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma.

Your provider might prescribe medication for your angioedema, such as:

  • Antihistamines
  • Corticosteroids
  • Epinephrine shots
  • Inhaler medicines

You can also use cold compresses to help relieve the pain.

If angioedema is affecting your life, call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today to schedule a consultation, or you can request an appointment using the online booking tool.

Eczema/Atopic Dermatitis Specialist

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a common skin problem that causes dry, itchy skin. If you or your child has eczema and you can’t stop scratching, the experts at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help. Allergist Eric Chenworth, DO, leads the team of eczema and allergy specialists at their offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah. Together they have the expertise to help minimize and relieve the effects of eczema. Learn how to manage eczema and improve your quality of life by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.
What is eczema?
Eczema, which is also known as atopic dermatitis, is an allergic skin condition that causes dryness and itching. Scratching your itchy skin makes it thicken and redden. People who have eczema often have asthma, hay fever, or food allergies, as well.

Symptoms of eczema tend to go in cycles, flaring up at times and then going away for a while. It’s a chronic condition that commonly begins in childhood but can develop at any age. Eczema may leave you vulnerable to bacterial, fungal, viral, and yeast infections.

What causes eczema?
Eczema develops when you have a leaking skin barrier. Your skin is designed to let sweat out and prevent water from getting in, but in some people, water can leak out of the skin, which makes it dry and itchy.

You can inherit leaky skin, or it might develop because of environmental factors. If you inherit leaky skin, it’s because of the Filaggrin gene, which is faulty in around one-third of people who are of North European or Eastern Asian descent.

Eczema flare-ups are caused by exposure to certain substances, including:

  • Soaps
  • Detergents
  • Dust mites
  • Pollens
  • Animal dander

Some people find that certain foods can make their atopic dermatitis worse. Proteases in certain bacteria can also damage the links that exist between your skin cells, leading to leaky skin.

How is eczema treated?
An important part of treating eczema is avoiding possible triggers. You might have to avoid certain materials and stay away from anything that could irritate your skin.

You should wear clothes that don’t make you itch, and always wash new clothes before wearing them using a gentle, hypoallergenic laundry soap.

Use a sunscreen that has protection from ultraviolet rays. Look for products that are at least SPF15, with UV-A and UV-B protection. You should also rinse off if you’ve been swimming to remove any chemicals that could aggravate your skin.

Try to keep your fingernails short, too, to help minimize skin damage from scratching.

Creams and moisturizers can help your skin to form a better barrier against leaks and help soothe the itching and inflammation. Your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can also prescribe other treatments, such as:

  • Topical steroids or immunomodulators
  • Wet wrap therapy
  • Sedative antihistamines
  • Antibiotics for skin infections
  • Very dilute bleach baths
  • Stress reduction
  • Biofeedback
  • Vitamin D supplements
  • Biologic medications
  • Allergy shots

Your provider creates a personalized care plan for you that includes the most effective treatments for your eczema and any complications you might have. With their help, you can keep your eczema under control and lead an active, comfortable life.

Call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today to schedule a consultation or request an appointment online.

Chronic Sinusitis Specialist

Constant throbbing pain and congestion in your face are typical symptoms of sinusitis, which can become a chronic problem unless treated promptly. If you have these symptoms, Wasatch Allergy and Asthma is a specialty medical center where you can get help. They have a team of sinus and allergy specialists, led by allergist Eric Chenworth, DO, at their offices in Salt Lake City and Riverton, Utah, who can help minimize and relieve the effects of chronic sinusitis. Find out more by calling Wasatch Allergy and Asthma or booking an appointment online
What is chronic sinusitis?
Chronic sinusitis is a painful condition affecting the sinuses in your face. You have sinuses, which are empty spaces, above your eyes, behind your nose, and within your cheekbones. They filter air as you breathe in through your nose, as well as moistening and warming it.

If you have sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis or a sinus infection, it means there’s swelling in your sinuses and nasal passages. Acute sinusitis typically lasts no more than four weeks. Chronic sinusitis lasts for eight weeks or more.

Chronic sinusitis most often develops from an acute attack of sinusitis. Acute sinusitis can occur when you have a cold, as sinus swelling leads to infection. If you have seasonal allergies or hay fever, that can make you more prone to sinusitis as your nasal passages are already swollen.

What are the symptoms of chronic sinusitis?
The main symptom of sinusitis is pain and a feeling of pressure in the back of your nose, around your eyes, and in your forehead. The pain can become intense and debilitating in severe cases. Other symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:

  • Stuffy nose
  • Thick, discolored phlegm
  • Postnasal drip
  • Cough
  • Ear fullness
  • Headache
  • Toothache
  • Tiredness
  • Fever (occasionally)

If you have symptoms of chronic sinusitis, you don’t need to struggle on, as the team at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can help.

How is chronic sinusitis treated?
After confirming the diagnosis of sinusitis, your provider can offer several treatments to reduce the pain and inflammation. You might need to take medication to control your allergies or reduce any blockages. These medicines could include a:

  • Decongestant
  • Mucus-thinning medicine
  • Steroid nasal spray

If you have a bacterial infection that isn’t clearing up, then you might need to take antibiotics. Long-term treatment to manage your allergies reduces the risk of developing sinusitis.

Inhaling moist hot air can help clear your sinuses, as can rinsing your nasal cavities with a specially prepared saltwater solution.

In some cases, you might need surgery to correct physical problems that are making your sinusitis worse — for example, having narrow drainage passages or a shifted nasal septum. If this is the case, your provider at Wasatch Allergy and Asthma can refer you to an ear, nose, and throat doctor.

If you have symptoms of chronic sinusitis, call Wasatch Allergy and Asthma today to schedule a consultation, or you can request an appointment online.

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