Allergist

Immunologists as they are also called, allergists are physicians who specialize in diagnosing and treating any disease relating to the immune system of the body. Allergists may also specialize in any particular type of allergy like food allergy or may specialize in treating a particular age group such as adults or children. Allergists who treat children are called pediatric allergists. The general conditions treated by allergists are asthma, eczema, insect bites and allergies due to environmental pollution or food. Allergies arise due to various reasons in our day to day life and allergists will be the right persons to identify them.

• Allergist diagnoses, reaches the root cause of the problem and identifies the reason for the allergy.
  
• He will ask for a few tests that will help identifying the cause for the allergy. The tests can include either blood tests or skin tests.
  
• Depending on the test results, the reason for the allergy is pinpointed and you will be asked to avoid those allergy-causing agents.
  
• Depending on the type of allergy and taking into account the cause of the allergy, medications are prescribed.
  
• In worse cases, if the allergy refuses to ease off even after medications, injections are given to ease off the allergy.

Choose the right allergist

• Ensure that the allergist is a qualified physician who has completed medical school and specialized in pediatrics (in case of children) or internal medicine. He should have completed a specialization in allergic diseases for a period of at least two years.
  
• The allergist should have a certification from the American board of allergy and immunology.
  
• Ask your family physician to recommend the right allergist and check on the type of medication he will use for you.
  
• Ensure he has the right experience to handle the type of problem you or your child is facing.

Modern day innovations have made it easy for people who have to undergo allergy treatments. Medications of the recent days no longer give the patient a drugged feeling as they used to earlier thereby imparting the freedom to carry on with their usual routine. New immunotherapy systems are replacing the traditional ones are both easy to use and highly effective.