In the case of AllergyTampa, positioned on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. close to E. Fletcher Ave., caring for people with allergy symptoms and immunological illnesses goes past the partitions of the workplace. Docs Richard Lockey, Seong Cho, Mark Glaum, Amber Pepper and latest addition Dr. Emily Dzoba not solely present high quality take care of 1000’s of sufferers, in addition they take part in ground-breaking analysis and practice college students and medical professionals within the specialty.
A founding school member of the College of South Florida (USF) Morsani Faculty of Drugs, Dr. Richard Lockey helped begin USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology in 1973, together with founding director Dr. Samuel Bukantz. Greater than 50 years later, USF’s Division of Allergy & Immunology has been acknowledged as a World Allergy Group “Heart of Excellence.”
Dr. Lockey earned his Physician of Drugs (M.D.) diploma from the Temple College Faculty of Drugs in Philadelphia, PA, earlier than changing into a Professor of Drugs at USF. He’s a previous president of the World Allergy Group and the American Academy of Allergy, Bronchial asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).
Dr. Lockey first established his personal observe in 1984 as “Educational Associates in Allergy, Bronchial asthma & Immunology.” At the moment, Dr. Lockey humbly puzzled if he would even have sufficient sufferers. Inside simply 5 years, he was already getting referrals for extreme asthmatics. Now, 40 years later, AllergyTampa’s flagship observe is flourishing and there’s a second location in South Tampa, and Dr. Lockey remains to be actively concerned, seeing sufferers two days every week along with his educating and analysis at USF.
Regardless of his 50+ years of expertise, Dr. Lockey seems to be in no rush to retire. His love of the work is clear — and never stunning — since his curiosity in allergy and immunology was sparked at a younger age. Happening rounds along with his father, a household doctor who later specialised in allergy and immunology, Dr. Lockey says he was drastically impacted by what he witnessed — particularly individuals who had been struggling to breathe deeply.
Then, after doing a analysis paper on bronchial asthma in medical faculty, it grew to become clear to him that allergy & immunology was the specialty through which he wished to make his mark. Dr. Lockey, and his colleagues at AllergyTampa, proceed to be on the forefront of high quality affected person care that advantages from scientific analysis, Board-certified experience and a need to enhance the standard of life for these affected by allergy symptoms and immunological illnesses.
“The advances in immunology have completely revolutionized our care,” Dr. Lockey says. “The therapy of allergic and immunological illnesses, in my lifetime, has modified exponentially. Folks now not die from illnesses they used to die from.”
Collaborating in these advances permits the medical doctors at AllergyTampa to supply knowledgeable, knowledgeable care for his or her sufferers.
Dr. Lockey’s colleague, Dr. Seong Cho, shares his optimism about the place medical science is heading. An otolaryngologist, or ear, nostril & throat (ENT) specialist, Dr. Cho earned his M.D. diploma from Kyung Hee College College of Drugs in Seoul, South Korea. He honed his allergy and immunology experience on the Northwestern College Feinberg College of Drugs in Chicago, IL, earlier than becoming a member of AllergyTampa.
Dr. Cho describes how analysis of biologics (a category of medication that can be utilized to deal with a wide range of allergic circumstances, together with bronchial asthma, eczema and meals allergy symptoms) is increasing. Biologics are actually getting used to assist with different circumstances and are altering approaches to therapy altogether. As an ENT, Dr. Cho has seen first-hand how these advances have main impacts — for instance, for sufferers who’ve nasal polyps, that are non-cancerous growths contained in the nostril or sinuses that may final for a number of months and are extra widespread with allergy symptoms, bronchial asthma and frequent infections. Whereas small nasal polyps could not trigger signs, bigger ones may cause discomfort and problems that have to be addressed.
“Prior to now, nasal polyps and continual sinusitis had been surgical illnesses,” Dr. Cho says. “However now, due to these drugs, you don’t must have repeated surgical procedures. We work out [which] molecule causes the issue and goal it.” That precision means fewer unwanted effects for sufferers and, as their use continues, injections could have the potential to deal with a wide range of different circumstances. That marriage of analysis and affected person care by the medical doctors at AllergyTampa has led to different life-changing therapies.
Dr. Mark Glaum describes how scientific analysis modified the panorama of how hereditary angioedema (HAE) is handled. HAE is an immune response which may be triggered by any variety of doubtlessly on a regular basis occurrences, from anxiousness and stress to colds and even minor accidents like a scratch. It might probably trigger swelling of the face, intestinal tract and airway and, relying upon the situation and severity, can also trigger disfigurement and even doubtlessly be life-threatening. HAE beforehand was solely handled with supportive care, however that too has developed, because of the scientific analysis concerned in creating merchandise that are actually available on the market.
Dr. Glaum describes how these new drugs helped a particular affected person that had been extraordinarily restricted by her HAE.
“She had by no means gone on a cruise, or a trip outdoors of a metropolitan space, as a result of she was afraid that she would have an assault and wish therapy,” Dr. Glaum shares. “However, now that she is managed, with no flare-ups or swelling on the treatment, she is free to go and luxuriate in life and holidays outdoors of town.”
Dr. Glaum earned his M.D. diploma from Hahnemann College College of Drugs (now Drexel College Faculty of Drugs) in Philadelphia, and accomplished an allergy and scientific immunology fellowship on the College of Pennsylvania Hospital, additionally in Philadelphia. He says that when he got here out of his coaching, there was solely supportive take care of hereditary angioedema.
High quality Of Life Enhancements
Serving to folks with allergy symptoms and immunological illnesses enhance their total high quality of life is a precedence for the entire medical doctors at AllergyTampa. Dr. Amber Pepper says she was impressed to deal with the specialty in medical faculty, after assembly her husband, who has allergy symptoms and bronchial asthma, and seeing how these circumstances affected him. That private connection, together with the chance to shadow Dr. Dennis Ledford (who retired from this identical observe), whom she calls an incredible mentor, at USF, made it an apparent alternative. Dr. Pepper went on to earn her M.D. diploma from USF in 2013 and accomplished her inside drugs residency and allergy & immunology fellowship at USF in 2016.
Dr. Pepper emphasizes the significance of figuring out meals allergy symptoms, which she says are distinct from meals sensitivities and intolerances.
“The factor about meals allergy symptoms, that’s actually necessary, is that in case you are really allergic, you possibly can doubtlessly have anaphylaxis (a extreme allergic response that may trigger sufferers to enter shock if not handled instantly), which may be life threatening,” she says, including that, “there are actually sure sorts of immunotherapies that we will do to attempt to improve the brink of meals allergy symptoms.”
For individuals who undergo from sure environmental allergy symptoms, Florida may be particularly difficult in response to Dr. Emily Dzoba, the latest member of the AllergyTampa crew. Dr. Dzoba earned her M.D. diploma from the College of Florida in Gainesville in 2019 and accomplished her inside drugs residency there in 2022. In June of this yr, she accomplished her allergy & immunology fellowship at USF and got here to AllergyTampa in October.
“What’s fairly distinctive right here in Florida is the pollen season,” Dr. Dzoba says. “It lasts all the best way from January to Might due to the local weather.”
Preserving observe of space pollen ranges is essential for these causes and the pollen-counting station at USF, which is run by Dr. Glaum, is there to assist the broader Tampa Bay neighborhood.
“We do counts of pollens which can be within the air at any given level and time, on a weekly foundation, and report it to the Nationwide Allergy Bureau,” Dr. Glaum explains. “It helps our sufferers preserve observe of what’s within the air that they is likely to be delicate to, and offers them a heads-up.”
One factor that Dr. Glaum says makes AllergyTampa — the place the entire medical doctors are Board-certified (Dr. Dzoba’s Board certification is pending) and members of AAAAI — distinctive is that, “We attempt to ensure once you are available in you see a doctor, every time. You don’t see a PA or nurse practitioner. We satisfaction ourselves on taking good care of sufferers like they had been our relations.”
AllergyTampa has places of work at 13801 BBD Blvd., Suite 502, and in South Tampa at 1906 W. Platt St. For extra data or to schedule an appointment, go to AllergyTampa.com or name (813) 971-9743.
