An allergist is a doctor who establishes a connection between the clinical manifestations of allergic conditions and their cause, that is, the allergen. Another responsibility of the allergist is to prescribe treatment and monitor the patient's condition.
Instructions
Step 1
Some symptoms may indicate the development of an allergy - rash, itching, redness, swelling, watery eyes, sneezing, etc., but these manifestations do not always mean the development of an allergic reaction. Only an allergist can differentiate the diagnosis and exclude an allergic reaction. An allergist's job begins with collecting patient data. The doctor finds out the history of the disease, i.e. asks how long ago the symptoms appeared, for the first time such manifestations, or they were observed earlier, with which the patient associates the appearance of symptoms, what food he took in the last week, etc.
Step 2
It is very important to collect an anamnesis about the patient's life - whether the patient has bad habits, whether his close relatives had strong allergic reactions (Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock), whether his work is associated with harmful substances. It is also important for the doctor to learn about the changes in the patient's life - moving to another region, recent trips to exotic countries, etc.
Step 3
The doctor conducts a thorough examination of the patient. In case of allergic skin manifestations, the doctor pays attention to the localization of the rash, to the nature of the rash, to the contents of the vesicles, and assesses the degree of hyperemia. If allergic conjunctivitis or rhinitis is suspected, an allergist examines the mucous membranes of the eyes or nose.
Step 4
The allergist compares all the data obtained. If there is evidence that the symptoms are allergic, the doctor assesses the potential allergens, i.e. substances that provoked the pathological process.
Step 5
There are two ways to isolate a number of allergens for a patient: donate blood for serological determination of antibodies to the allergen or undergo skin tests. In the second option, small doses of the allergen are applied with incisions on the skin of the shoulder and are numbered. In those places where the allergic reaction was provoked, the desired allergen is located.
Step 6
After receiving the allergy diagnostics data, the doctor will schedule the treatment for the patient. And he also necessarily conducts a preventive conversation, in which he tells the patient about which foods need to be excluded from the diet, pays attention to the surrounding objects. For example, if a patient is allergic to chicken feathers, he or she may need to find artificial pillows.
Step 7
The allergist appoints the patient a second consultation after 6-12 months, during which the titer of the increase in antibodies to the allergen is checked, the doses of hormonal and antiallergic drugs are adjusted. Particular attention is paid to children, because their immune system is immature up to 5 years. And later, with the strengthening of immunity, the body may stop responding to the allergen, so the treatment is canceled.
Step 8
The allergist prescribes individual treatment for each patient. Some patients take antihistamines all year round, the pharmacological group must be changed every 2-3 months. For other patients, the doctor prescribes only seasonal treatment.
