From The Inside Out

For many years, allergy testing has involved extensive skin scratch testing where concentrated extracts of the allergens in question are injected into the skin, and the resulting reaction is evaluated. This is painful and cumbersome, with incosistent results for the testing. The world of allergy testing had finally advanced into the future, right here in Sarasota! 

“There are many reasons for the continued prevalence of skin testing,” states Dr. Leonard A. Rubinstein, an Ears, Nose, and Throat Specialist in Sarasota who has been treating patients with allergies for over 20 years. He too was originally trained in allergy skin testing, but made a conscientious decision to forego subjecting patients to it. So why is it so important to identify the source of allergy problems, rather than simply treating the symptoms with antihistamines, steroids, nasal sprays, and other pharmaceutical agents? “Medications have associated side-effects for both children and adults…it’s not safe to take medications long-term,” states Dr. Rubinstein. Research has shown that both food and environmental allergies have been implicated in a wide range of medical conditions affecting virtually every part of the body—from mildly uncomfortable symptoms such as indigestion and gastritis, to severe illnesses such as celiac disease, arthritis, eczema, psoriasis, and chronic infection. Allergies have been linked to serious disorders of the central nervous system including depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has also been associated with allergies. 

Food allergies cause the immune system to synthesize and release reactive chemicals such as histamines, cytokines, lymphokines, and interferons. These hormone-like substances can dramatically influence cellular physiology, producing far-reaching effects of the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. “Even your natural hormone secretions can become imbalanced as a result of untreated allergies, leading to mood disturbances, headaches, depression, irritability, insomnia, and even low libido problems,” states Dr. Rubinstein who, in addition to his original specialty in Ears, Nose, and Throat, has received formal post-graduate training in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, and has become a Diplomat of the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.

Dr. Rubinstein serves as the Medical Director of the Allergy Clinic of Sarasota, a CLIA state-licensed allergy testing laboratory that performs thousands of allergy blood tests yearly.  

Over the past 20 years in Dr. Rubinstein’s office, patients have been spared from the painful and confusing skin testing as a result of this new, in-vitro, allergen-specific IgE testing method that has quickly grown in popularity to be considered the “gold standard” in allergy testing. Dr. Rubinstein prides himself in his uniquely integrative approach to Allergy which includes conventional (Western) components as well as Homeopathic and Oriental components. He believes in assessing the patient’s nutritional needs, their environment, and even their hormonal balance. His recommended treatment is also much less painful than the traditional allergy shot regimen. As an alternative, he offers allergy drops administered under the tongue, also known as sublingual immunotherapy. The drops are absorbed by the dendritic cells located under the tongue that prove to be a more effective route to build tolerance to antigens. Additionally, the drops tend to cost less and require fewer clinical visits, and can conveniently be taken at home.