The Willamette Valley, which includes Corvallis, is notorious for causing increased symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers, especially for those with seasonal allergies. Allergies can trigger asthmatic symptoms, though asthma can also occur without allergic symptoms.
Our goal is to best control your symptoms and help improve your quality of life. If you need treatment for symptoms, medication refills, or a medical evaluation, please make an appointment with a clinician. The nurses in the department see patients who are referred by a clinician for pulmonary function testing, education, or information on available resources. Nurses also work with outside providers to give allergy shots
As college health care providers, we will provide your allergy and asthma care with the ultimate goal of keeping you fit and healthy so you can be academically successful. If needed, we can refer you to other campus resources to assist you with issues unrelated to healthcare.
If your symptoms are life threatening call 9-1-1.
If you are having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Come to Student Health Services, or at an alternate clinic or Emergency Room after hours.
Bring a list of all medications with you to your appointment, along with any other relevant information.
Administering antigens outside of a medical facility equipped to handle allergic reactions is unwise. We therefore advise against patients injecting themselves or having others do it at home. Allergy patients who are pregnant or taking beta adrenergic blocking medication will be referred back to their own allergist (or to a local allergist) for their injections.
The following is some important information to be aware of before initiating allergy treatment at SHS.
Please take a few minutes to review this page. The Allergy and Asthma nurse is pleased to answer any questions or concerns you might have about your allergies or allergy treatment at SHS.
Students who require allergy injections may store their allergen solution at Student Health Services. A nurse will assist in following the injection schedule and will provide follow-up care. You may be able to receive an injection without an appointment if you are willing to wait for any students who may have scheduled appointments prior to your arrival. Scheduled appointments eliminate the inconvenience of such waits; ask the Allergy and Asthma Clinic nurse about scheduling appointments.
Serum ordered by an outside physician is stored at SHS for your convenience. The allergy nurse will insure that the vial is clearly labeled with the following information before storage: your name, contents, concentration, manufacturer and expiration date. Please supply the Allergy and Asthma Clinic nurse with a schedule of injections, dosage prescribed, and comments about any reactions you might have had.
If your vials have been mailed to us, please check with the Allergy and Asthma Clinic nurse to be sure it has arrived before you are due for an injection. All antigen left in the Allergy and Asthma Clinic will be discarded when it becomes outdated, or one year from the date of manufacture noted on the label.
It's important that you communicate the following information to the Allergy and Asthma Clinic nurse before receiving an injection so that proper dosage can be determined:
It is unsafe to receive allergy injections within a short period before or after donating blood or receiving certain immunizations. If you plan to donate blood or if you need an immunization, you may need to schedule your allergy injection at least 48 hours before or after either experience. Some immunizations can be given at the same time as allergy injections, including vaccinations for flu and tetanus.
Serious systemic reactions to antigen are rare but unpredictable. When they do occur, it is usually within 30 minutes of an injection. For your protection, we require that you remain at Student Health Services for 30 minutes following your injection. Students who do not comply with the full waiting period will be referred to an outside provider for allergy injections. Before leaving, allow the nurse to check the injection site for local reaction.
Initial visits are done for all desensitization patients during the first appointment of the school year. Health information is updated and consents are signed.
Strenuous activities should be avoided following an injection of antigen. Please avoid activities that increase the heart rate for at least two hours after you receive an injection: running, jogging, team sports, racket sports, skiing, skating, tennis, taking saunas, sunbathing or using a hot tub.
The source of your allergy symptoms (dust mites, pollens, animal dander, mold, etc.) should be avoided as much as possible during the 24 hour periods before and after your injection. It is advisable to have an antihistamine on hand. If you have none, please consult a clinician at SHS. There is no office visit fee for allergy appointments.
A fee is assessed for each injection you receive. The Allergy and Asthma nurse can tell you what the fee is currently.
Allergy services are scheduled daily Monday through Friday during clinic hours until 4:00 p.m.
As someone with asthma, your overall health depends on good control of your asthma symptoms.
The goal of the SHS Allergy and Asthma team is to provide primary education to allergy and asthma patients to optimize control of symptoms. As you learn to control your asthma symptoms, you also improve your quality of life.
This document, though somewhat technical, should be understandable to the educated asthma patient. It outlines treatment and education recommendations for asthma symptom management at four stages of severity/intensity. Ask your provider if you have questions about these asthma guidelines.
This Asthma Action Plan, provided by the American Lung Association, lists symptoms and treatments according to asthma severity. If you have asthma, ask your health care provider to complete an Asthma Action Plan for you.
This brief quiz will assist you in knowing whether your asthma symptoms are being adequately controlled. If the quiz informs you that your symptoms are not adequately controlled on your current asthma treatment plan, please see your health care provider.
If you can answer "yes" to any of the following questions, it is strongly suggested that you make an appointment with your provider to have your asthma care plan re-evaluated.