Allergy & Immunology

• Acute Sinusitis / Sinus Infections – Sudden inflammation or infection of the sinuses often following a cold or allergy flare. 
• Chronic Sinusitis – Long-term sinus inflammation that causes nasal congestion and facial pressure. 
• Nasal Polyps – Soft tissue growths in the nasal passages that can obstruct airflow and worsen allergies. 
• Allergic Rhinitis – Inflammation of nasal passages due to environmental allergens like pollen or dust. 
• Nasal Allergies – Sneezing, runny nose, and congestion triggered by allergens. 
• Eye Allergies (Allergic Conjunctivitis) – Red, itchy, watery eyes caused by airborne allergens. 
• Environmental Allergies / Hay Fever – Allergic response to pollen, mold, dust mites, and pet dander. 
• Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) – A lung reaction to Aspergillus fungus, often in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis. 

• Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) – Chronic, itchy inflammation of the skin often linked to other allergic conditions. 
• Contact Dermatitis – Skin irritation or rash caused by direct exposure to allergens or irritants. 
• Urticaria (Acute Hives) – Sudden red, raised, itchy welts due to allergens or unknown triggers. 
• Urticaria (Chronic Hives) – Persistent hives lasting longer than 6 weeks, often with no clear cause. 
• Itchy Skin (Pruritus) – Ongoing itching caused by allergies or underlying systemic issues 
• Angioedema – Rapid swelling beneath the skin or mucosa, often affecting the lips or eyes. 
• Hereditary Angioedema – A rare genetic disorder causing recurring severe swelling without a typical allergic trigger. 

• Anaphylaxis – A life-threatening allergic reaction that requires emergency treatment with epinephrine. 
• Insect Allergies – Reactions to stings or bites from bees, wasps, or fire ants. 
• Animal Allergies – Allergies triggered by exposure to pet dander, saliva, or urine. 
• Pollen Allergy – Seasonal allergy symptoms caused by airborne plant pollen. 
• Food Allergy – Immune system response to specific foods like peanuts, eggs, or shellfish. 
• Pediatric Food Allergies – Food allergies in children that may affect growth and health. 
• Drug Allergy (Including Penicillin) – Allergic reaction to medications, including antibiotics and NSAIDs. 

• Eosinophilic Disorders – High levels of eosinophils causing inflammation in organs such as the GI tract. 
• Primary Immune Deficiency – Genetic conditions causing a weakened immune response and recurring infections. 
• Immunodeficiency Syndromes – Broader category of immune system dysfunction affecting infection resistance. 
• Pediatric Immune Deficiencies – Immune disorders in children that lead to frequent or severe infections. 
• Adult Immune Deficiencies – Diagnosed immune dysfunction in adults, either inherited or acquired. 

• Allergy Skin Testing – Small amounts of allergens are applied to the skin to observe immediate reactions (used for environmental, food, and insect allergies). 
• Patch Testing – Identifies delayed allergic reactions, typically used for diagnosing contact dermatitis and skin allergies. 
• Blood Allergy Testing – Measures specific IgE antibodies in the blood to detect allergies when skin testing is not suitable. 
• Drug Allergy Testing – Helps confirm hypersensitivity to medications, including antibiotics like penicillin. 
• Environmental Allergy Testing – Identifies allergies to pollen, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and other airborne triggers. 
• Food Allergy Testing – Evaluates allergic reactions to common food allergens such as nuts, dairy, shellfish, and eggs. 
• Insect Allergy Testing – Exposes allergic reactivity to stings or bites from bees, wasps, fire ants, and other insects. 

• Allergy Shots (Allergen Immunotherapy) – Gradual exposure to allergens through injections to reduce hypersensitivity over time. 
• Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy – Controlled, gradual exposure to food allergens to help desensitize the immune system. 
• Oral Food Challenges – Supervised food introduction to confirm or rule out food allergies. 
• Drug Challenges (e.g., Penicillin) – Monitored administration of medications to safely assess allergic responses. 
• Environmental Allergy Treatment – Personalized plans include avoidance strategies, medications, and/or immunotherapy. 
• Insect Sting Allergy Treatment – Desensitization therapy to reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions to insect stings. 
• Anaphylaxis Management – Emergency action planning and training in the use of epinephrine auto-injectors (e.g., EpiPen®). 
• Long-term Allergy Management Plans – Ongoing monitoring, lifestyle guidance, and treatment adjustments for chronic allergy sufferers. 

• Aetna Select
• Open Access Selects
• Elect Choice
• Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
• Aetna Choice POS II
• Managed Choice
• Open Choice PPO
• Aetna Medicare Advantage Plans

CLS Health does not accept:

• Aetna CVS Marketplace Plans

* Some providers may not accept this insurance, please call to confirm

• Superior Ambetter Core (Complete, Clear, Focused, Standard Silver and Gold)
• Superior Ambetter Value (Clear Value Silver, Focused Value Silver, CMS Standard Silver & Gold Value, Everyday Value Gold)
• Superior Ambetter Virtual (Ambetter Virtual Access Silver, CMS Standard Virtual Access Basic Silver, Ambetter Virtual Access Gold)
• Superior Health Plan CHIP*
• Superior Health Plan MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug)
• Superior Health Plan Medicare
• Superior Health Plan MMP Medicaid*
• Superior Health Plan MMP Medicare
• Superior Health Plan STAR*
• Superior Health Plan STAR Kids*
• Superior Health Plan STAR+PLUS*

CLS Health participates in most Blue Cross Blue Shield plans including:

• Blue Choice PPO
• Blue Essentials
• Blue Essentials Access
• HealthSelect
• HealthSelect of Texas In Area
• Consumer Directed HealthSelect in Area
• HealthSelect of Texas Out of State
• Consumer Directed Health Select Out of State
• HealthSelect Secondary 65+
• Medicare Advantage HMO
• Medicare Advantage PPO
• Medicare Advantage Value HMO
• POS
• Traditional/Par Plan
• TRS-Active Care
• TRS-Care Standard
• BCBS MyBlue Health (Marketplace)

*Some providers may not accept Community Health Choice, please call to confirm

• MarketplacePremier
• Medicaid*CHIPCHIP PerinateSTAR
• Medicare AdvantageDual-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP)

CLS Health accepts most Cigna plans, including:

• Cigna HMO
• Cigna Local Plus
• Cigna Open Access Plus
• Cigna PPO

• ChoiceCare PPO
• EPO
• HMO
• HMO Premier
• Medicare Advantage Plans
• HumanaChoice - Medicare Advantage PPO plan
• Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan
• Human Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage HMO & Special Needs Plan
• Military (TRICARE South Region Military Health Plan)
• POS - including Choice POS, National POS Open Access/Plus and Preferred POS Open Access.
• PPO

*Some providers may not accept United Healthcare, please call to confirm

• Commercial, HMO, POS, EPO and PPO Plans (Charter, Choice,Core, Doctors Plan, Freedon, Heritage, Navigate, Nexus ACO, Options PPO, Passport Connect, Select)
• Indemnity
• Medicare Advantage (AARP, Care Improvement Plus, C-SNP, D-SNP, I-SNP, Erickson Advantage, ERS Medicare Advantage, TRS-Care Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare Chronic Complete, UnitedHealthcare Connected (Medicare-Medicaid Plan), UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete, UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage PPO, United Healthcare Medicare Complete)
• Community Plans* (CHIP, CHIP Perinate, Star, Star Kids, Star Plus, MMP)
• Wellmed (Wellmed Dual SNP Focus, Wellmed Medicare Advantage Focus)

*Some providers may not accept Wellpoint, please call to confirm

• Medicaid (All Texas Plans Including the Below)*
• CHIP
• CHIP Perinate
• STAR
• STAR+PLUS
• STAR Kids
• Medicare Advantage
• C-SNP
• D-SNP
• I-SNP
• Medicare Advantage HMO
• Medicare-Medicaid (MMP)
• Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
• STAR+PLUS MMP

*Some providers may not accept insurance, please call to confirm

PPO Networks

• Beechstreet PPO
• Carnival Cruise Lines PPO
• Envolve Benefit Options Vision-PPO, HMO
• First Health
• Curative/First Health
• Galaxy Health Network
• HealthSmart Preferred Care
• Accel
• Healthsmart Payors Organization
• Multiplan PPO
• Tricare (Humana) PPO/Prime

Employer-Specific Plans

• Brazoria County Employees – Aetna TPA Brazoria County Employees

Workers’ Compensation Plans

• Workers’ Comp
• Auto & Workers’ Comp

Medicare and Medicare Advantage

• Medicare Traditional
• Medicare Advantage
• Memorial Hermann Health Solutions Commercial and Medicare
• Molina Medicare Complete Care HMO SNP
• Medicare-Medicaid Program (MMP)
• STAR+PLUS MMP
• Alignment Health Plan
• AllyAlign Health
• American Health Plans
• Florida Complete Care
• Gold Kidney Health Plan
• Imperial Health
• Independent Health
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado
• Mass Advantage
• Presbyterian Health Plan
• PriorityHealth
• Provider Partners
• SCAN
• UCare
• Vantage Health Plan
• Verda Healthcare
• Zing Health

Medicaid and CHIP Programs

• Molina Healthcare* (Marketplace, Medicaid, CHIP, CHIP Perinate, STAR, STAR Kids, STAR+PLUS)
• Texas Children's Health Plans*
• TMHP (Traditional Medicaid) Traditional Medicaid

Specialty Plans

• VA Community Cares Network CCN

Allergic reactions can manifest in various ways, but common symptoms include sneezing, itching, watery eyes, nasal congestion, and skin rashes. If you frequently experience these symptoms, it's advisable to consult with an allergy specialist for accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment options. 

You should consider seeing a specialist if you experience: 

• Persistent or seasonal allergy symptoms 
• Recurrent infections 
• Unexplained rashes or swelling 
• Food or drug reactions 
• Difficulty breathing due to asthma or allergies 

Distinguishing between allergies and respiratory infections can be challenging due to overlapping symptoms. Allergies are typically chronic or seasonal and occur without fever, while infections come on suddenly, often with fever, body aches, or fatigue. Our specialists use clinical evaluations and allergy testing to determine the root cause of your symptoms. 

Symptoms of a food allergy can range from mild reactions such as itching, swelling, or hives to severe reactions like shortness of breath or anaphylaxis. If you notice symptoms after eating certain foods, schedule a visit with our allergy team for testing and personalized management. 

The eight most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish, sesame, and shellfish. However, reactions can occur from a wide range of foods. We offer comprehensive food allergy testing to help identify your specific triggers. 

Yes, it's possible to develop new allergies as an adult, even if you've never had symptoms before. Factors like environmental changes, hormonal shifts, and genetic predisposition can trigger adult-onset allergies. Our specialists can help identify the cause and recommend effective treatments. 

Absolutely. Allergy testing is safe and well-tolerated for children, including infants and toddlers. We use age-appropriate methods like skin prick testing or blood tests to identify triggers and create customized treatment plans for children with food allergies, eczema, or environmental triggers.

Yes, allergy shots (immunotherapy) are one of the most effective treatments for reducing allergic symptoms over time. They work by gradually desensitizing your immune system to specific allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, or pet dander, and can offer long-lasting symptom relief even after treatment ends. 

Both allergy shots and allergy drops are forms of allergen immunotherapy designed to reduce allergic reactions. They differ in how they’re administered and what they're approved for: 

• Allergy Shots (Subcutaneous Immunotherapy - SCIT): 
• Administered by injection in a medical office 
• Typically given weekly, then monthly over 3–5 years 
• FDA-approved in the U.S. for environmental allergies (e.g., pollen, dust mites, pet dander) 
• Allergy Drops (Sublingual Immunotherapy - SLIT): 
• Placed under the tongue and can be taken at home 
• Taken daily and typically continued for 3+ years 
• Not FDA-approved for all allergens in the U.S., but commonly used for grass, ragweed, dust mites, and some food allergies 

Which is right for you? It depends on your allergy type, lifestyle, and treatment goals. Our allergy specialists can help you decide which option offers the best balance of safety, convenience, and effectiveness for your needs. 

An immunologist is a medical specialist who diagnoses and treats immune system disorders, including allergies and immunodeficiencies. They play a key role in managing chronic infections, severe allergic reactions, and inflammatory conditions by restoring balance to your immune system. 

Immunological disorders include conditions where the immune system is either overactive or underactive. Examples include: 

• Autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis 
• Primary immunodeficiencies 
• Chronic infections 
• Severe allergies and asthma  

Our clinic provides specialized care and long-term management plans for these conditions.