🎯Three Content Types · One Force Field
Every square belongs to one of three content types — not three levels you climb. Track progress in your Course and Skills Lab.
📘 Learn It Content type
Concepts to absorb.
🛠 Live It Content type
Daily skills and habits.
📣 Share It Content type
Teach, advocate, carry forward.
🛡️Your Force Field — 16 Squares
Deeper detail lives in the Prepared Patient Allergic Rhinitis course.
What Allergic Rhinitis Is
Immune response to allergens — pollen, dust, dander, mold. Common.
Learn ItMed Stack
Antihistamines, nasal steroids, leukotriene blockers, sometimes biologics.
Learn ItSpot Anaphylaxis
Throat swelling · widespread hives · trouble breathing — EpiPen + 911.
Learn ItTriggers
Pollen seasons, indoor allergens, animals, mold. Yours are personal.
Learn ItAllergy Testing
Skin tests or blood tests identify specific triggers.
Learn ItMed Discipline
Daily controller (nasal steroid) works better than as-needed.
Live ItAvoidance
Closed windows during peak pollen, HEPA filters, dust mite covers.
Live ItImmunotherapy
Shots or sublingual drops desensitize over years. Curative for some.
Live ItEnvironmental
Track local pollen counts. Time outdoor activities.
Live ItMake Every Visit Count
Bring symptom log, trigger pattern, meds.
Live ItYour Care Team
Allergist, PCP, ENT, asthma specialist if overlap.
Live ItApps + Tracking
Pollen forecasts, symptom diaries.
Live ItInsurance + Cost
Most meds generic. Immunotherapy usually covered.
Live ItTeach & Mentor
Allergy + asthma + eczema 'atopic triad' often misunderstood.
Share ItAdvocate
Push for air quality, school accommodations, EpiPen access.
Share ItResearch & Trials
Biologics for severe rhinitis, food allergy immunotherapy, environmental health.
Share ItThree things to learn before you actually need them.
Workflow lives in the Prepared Visit Tool. Trackers in your Course.
Which door do I use?
Allergic rhinitis is usually low-stakes. The ladder distinguishes it from anaphylaxis.
Handle at home
- Manageable symptoms with usual meds
- Following allergy regimen
- Avoiding triggers
Log it. Daily controller meds work best when consistent.
Call the office / message the portal
- Worsening despite meds
- Running low on meds
- New trigger you can’t identify
- Sinus pain or fever — possible sinusitis
Same day. Sinus infections can need workup.
Urgent / Acute care
- Persistent sinus pain with fever
- Asthma symptoms worsening alongside
- Severe eye involvement
- Skin changes from scratching
Urgent care.
ER NOW / call 911
- Anaphylaxis — lip/tongue/throat swelling, widespread hives, trouble breathing, sudden BP drop — use EpiPen, call 911
- Severe asthma attack alongside allergies
- Severe facial swelling
- Inability to breathe through nose with severe distress
Call 911. Anaphylaxis is life-threatening.
How to describe a new symptom in 30 seconds
What is it?
Plain words.
How bad?
0-10.
When did it start?
Time + what you were doing.
What made it worse?
Movement · food · meds.
What helped?
Even a little.
What else was new?
Fever · med · supplement · stress. The forgotten detail often shifts the diagnosis.
“Sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes for 2 weeks, a 5 worst, started during tree pollen season, worse outdoors, antihistamines help a little, and my asthma is acting up alongside.”
Questions worth asking
Four for every patient, every condition, every visit:
- “Could this be a side effect of one of my medications, a supplement, or something else I’m doing — and should we change that?”
- “Would any non-drug therapy help — physical therapy, meditation, rest, ice or heat?”
- “If I can’t afford this medication or this test, can we talk about samples, alternatives, or a social worker who can help?”
- “What should I be watching for between now and my next visit — and when do I handle it myself, when do I call your office, when do I go to urgent care, and when do I go to the ER?”
Questions specifically for Allergic Rhinitis:
- “Am I on the right combination — antihistamines, nasal steroids, leukotriene blockers?”
- “Should I have allergy testing — skin or blood?”
- “Am I a candidate for allergy shots (immunotherapy)?”
- “Do I need an EpiPen for anaphylaxis risk — food allergies, insect stings?”
- “How do I distinguish allergies from a cold or sinus infection?”