A is also for… Allergist

Yesterday, A was for anesthesiologist . Today it’s for allergist.

An allergist is also called an immunologist and this may be a more appropriate term if they treat more than just allergies. After getting a medical degree and medical training, a doctor who wants to be an immunologist goes on to study for another few years.

What does an allergist/immunologist do?

Allergists are trained to prevent, diagnose, and manage allergies. This includes trying to discover what exactly you’re allergic to, and this isn’t always easy.

Dee, copyright Marijke Durning

Sometimes, the cause of your allergies can be figured out through trial-and-error – such as if you’re allergic to dogs, pollen, or a specific food. Other times, it’s not so easy. So, the first thing an allergist will do is a very thorough medical history.

Some of the questions may seem a little “out there,” but there are reasons for them all. After the medical history, the allergist must decide what – if any – type of testing to do.

Elimination

Elimination testing is done by removing certain things that could be causing your allergies to see if that makes a difference. This can be done one of two ways. You can remove 1 thing at a time for a set amount of time, but never more than 1. What you’re looking for is a difference in how you feel. If you remove more than 1 thing, you won’t know which item was the offending one.

Or, as may be done with food, you remove everything from your diet except the bare minimum. You then start introducing food – one at a time for a set period of time – to see what, if anything, causes you to react.

Skin Testing

Skin testing is the type that involves your doctor making little pin pricks, usually on your arm, and putting a bit of different allergens just under the skin on the arm to see if they react. Then, you wait. Usually if you’re going to react, it’s within less than half an hour.

Skin allergy testing should be done with supervision, in a medical office or facility, just in case your reaction to an allergen is very severe.

Treatment

An allergist will decide, with you, what the best course of treatment is. For some, it’s simply avoiding the allergen, but there are methods that may help for others, such as “allergy shots.” Small, dilute amounts of the allergen are given by injection in the hopes of sensitizing your body so it doesn’t react any more.

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Images: Marijke Durning, iStock, Stock.xchng