What you need to know about
When to see a board-certified allergist
It is not uncommon to suffer year after year with symptoms that impact your quality of life – and never realize that a board-certified allergist/immunologist can provide tremendous relief. If you or someone you care for is suffering, now may be the perfect time to see an allergist/immunologist.
What is a board-certified allergist?
It takes dedication and years of training to become a board-certified allergist/immunologist. Four years of college and four years of medical school are just the beginning. Allergists then spend a two- to three-year residency specializing in pediatrics or internal medicine, followed by two to three years of highly focused training in allergy, asthma and immunology (the study of how the body fights infection).
No other type of physician is as qualified to treat allergic diseases. After schooling and training, each physician must be board certified in either pediatrics or internal medicine before becoming board certified in allergy/immunology.
Our physicians are all board certified in allergy and immunology. They can help you to:
- Control allergies or asthma that interfere with everyday life
- Decrease the need for daily medications to treat allergies/asthma
- Find alternatives to antihistamines, decongestants and over-the-counter medications that don’t control symptoms or create unacceptable side effects, like drowsiness or nervousness
- Treat an infant or child with eczema
- Define potential triggers of your allergic symptoms or asthma
Signs and symptoms that it’s time to see an allergist.
- Cold symptoms that persist for more than two weeks
- Cough that will not go away
- Allergic reaction caused by food, insect sting or medication
- Asthma warning signs – shortness of breath, wheezing, frequent cough (especially at night or after exercise), chest tightness
- More than three ear, sinus, throat or lung infections in a year
- Allergic rashes, such as hives and contact sensitivities
- Increase of allergy symptoms after a new pet comes home