Types of Allergy Doctors

An allergist is a doctor who specializes in treating allergies and asthma.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), asthma and allergies are two of the most common health problems in the U.S. An allergist is a doctor who treats these conditions that affect about 50 million Americans who have asthma, hay fever, or allergy-related conditions.

Although a family practitioner can treat your allergy, you will likely be referred to an allergist if your allergies interfering with your daily life. After earning a medical degree, the doctor who wants to specialize in treating food allergy and other kinds of allergies then spends three years in residency training, focusing on either internal medicine or pediatrics. The allergist then completes two or three more years studying allergy and immunology to become a specialist in treating allergies.

Certified Allergists

A certified allergist can treat any type of allergy from hay fever to peanut allergy. This of doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating asthma and allergic diseases. As you know if you have a food allergy, this type of disorder can severely affect your life and wellness. The goal of the allergist is to help you control your allergy so that your quality of life is the best that it can be.

Allergy is diagnosed through a skin test or blood test that show if antibodies to allergens have developed. If so, the test is positive and the allergist can begin a treatment program. Many food allergies, such as peanut allergy, cannot be treated with antihistamines. Instead, the person must avoid eating or coming into contact with the food.

Dermatologists

Allergies can affect many different parts of the body, and the allergist is prepared to treat all allergic reactions and symptoms. Sometimes a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in skin, hair, and nails, diagnoses and treats skin allergy. Skin allergies are quite common and are usually diagnosed with a skin test, but a blood test is used in some cases, such as if the patient cannot stop taking antihistamines for a few days before testing. The dermatologist treats hives, rashes, eczema, and other types of skin allergies that result from detergent, latex, cosmetics or from exposure to the sun. Dermatologists also treat reactions to poison oak and ivy, or to mold that can cause skin problems. One of the serious allergic disorders involving the skin that the dermatologist treats is bee sting allergy. It can cause a serious reaction that involves swelling of the skin, face, and throat.

Allergist-Immunologists

Another type of allergist is the allergist-immunologist. This person specializes in the immune system and in allergies as well. Some of the allergic problems that these physicians treat are food allergy, skin allergy, sinus allergy, and medicine allergy. They test patients to diagnose allergies and then treat the immune system . In the case of food allergy, this may involve a challenge test to see if the patient truly has a particular food allergy. These doctors also provide preventive care to patients with food allergy in their family.