What is an allergy?
The human body has a natural defense mechanism called the immune system. It can effectively fight harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses to protect the body. However, the immune system sometimes becomes too aggressive and mistakenly identifies harmless substances such as pollen, molds, or dust as dangerous to the body. At that time, the system uses all its strength to destroy these harmless substances, causing specific symptoms and reactions called allergies. In extreme circumstances, these can be fatal.
The most common environmental factors that trigger allergic reactions are called allergens and can include molds, pollens, pets, dust mites, insect stings, medicines, foods, feathers, cockroaches, and industrial chemicals.
Who is an allergist?
Allergists, also known as immunologists, are certified doctors specialized in diagnosing, treating, and managing allergies, asthma, and primary immunodeficiency disorders.
After acquiring a medical degree, allergists must complete a three-year residency training program in pediatrics or internal medicine. Next, they must complete two or three years of training in immunology and allergy to become allergists. Finally, they must receive a certification from the American Board of Allergy and Immunology to begin medical practice as allergists or immunologists.
What do allergists do?
Allergists near you may conduct screenings to detect allergy triggers. They examine the lungs and diagnose asthma. Allergists can prescribe appropriate medical devices or medications to avoid, manage, or treat the severity of asthma attacks and allergic reactions. They also provide immunotherapy, such as allergy shots, to reduce the effect of allergic reactions. These specialists can also recommend lifestyle changes to prevent allergy triggers or asthma.
Further, allergists diagnose immunodeficiency disorders and provide treatment. They are trained to administer intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) to treat immune disorders. They also perform drug sensitization procedures to ensure the patient can safely take essential medications. Allergists can even recommend techniques to avoid infection in people with immune disorders.
Types of allergic conditions
Allergies generally occur in the eyes, nose, throat, skin, sinuses, lungs, and stomach lining. These body parts have unique immune system cells to fight antigens that enter the body through inhaling, swallowing, or skin contact. The most common types of allergic conditions include the following:
- Hay fever or allergic rhinitis: Allergies in the nose area are called allergic rhinitis. Its symptoms include nasal congestion, a runny nose, sneezes, and itching in the eyes, nose, or upper palate of the mouth. The condition is called hay fever if it occurs due to outdoor molds and pollens during spring, fall, or summer. Excessive exposure to household pets, house dust mites, allergens, or indoor molds in school or office may cause such allergic reactions throughout the year.
- Asthma: Asthma occurs due to inflammation in the bronchial tube lining and airway muscle spasms that block airflow to the lungs. Sometimes, excess mucus may even block the airway, causing restrictive breathing. Asthma attacks are restricted or labored breathing episodes followed by wheezing, coughing, and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Sometimes, a chronic cough may also indicate an asthma attack. An asthma attack can even be life-threatening in severe cases, stopping breathing altogether.
- Atopic dermatitis or skin allergies: Atopic and contact dermatitis, skin allergies, hives, and eczema are various skin conditions caused by irritants and allergens. These allergies may take days or even hours to develop. The common causes of these allergies are foods, insect stings, medicines, chemicals used at work or home, and animals. Emotional stress may sometimes aggravate such allergies.
- Sinus infections: Sinusitis is inflammation of the tissue lining of your sinuses. Bacterial infections, allergies, and viral infections can irritate your sinuses, blocking them and causing them to fill with fluid. Symptoms of this condition include headaches, cough, bad breath, stuffy nose, facial pressure (especially around your eyes, nose, and forehead), and postnasal drip. Sinusitis is of three types: acute (symptoms last for less than four weeks), subacute (symptoms last for four to twelve weeks), and chronic (symptoms last for at least twelve weeks).
- Angioedema: Angioedema is an allergic reaction that leads to swelling in the tissue below your dermis (the inner layer of your skin) or the layer below a mucous membrane. Its symptoms include a puffy or swollen face (particularly your eyes, mouth, lips, and tongue), digestive problems (like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain), dizziness, and swollen hands or feet. Angioedema can be caused by:
- Food allergies from items like milk, nuts, eggs, and shellfish
- Natural rubber latex (used to make gloves, balloons, condoms, etc.)
- Medications like antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Venom released by stinging insects
- Anaphylaxis: Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. Food allergies, certain medications, latex, and stinging insects can cause it. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain, vomiting, and wheezing. If not treated on time, the allergic reaction can result in complications like low blood pressure, increased heart rate, and cardiac arrest.
Anaphylaxis typically happens quickly and abruptly. Some healthcare providers have broken down the reaction into four stages:
- Stage one: Mild anaphylaxis can cause skin rash, redness, itching, or hives
- Stage two: Moderate anaphylaxis causes more widespread rashes and hives and/or mild lip or tongue swelling
- Stage three: Severe anaphylaxis (also called anaphylactic shock) can cause breathing difficulties, extensive swelling, weak pulse, or dizziness
- Stage four: Life-threatening anaphylaxis causes a person to lose consciousness and have inadequate blood flow to vital organs
How are allergies screened?
Allergists use the most appropriate test to diagnose allergies based on a patient's symptoms, age, and suspected allergens. The various types of allergy tests are:
- Skin prick (scratch) test: The provider pricks the skin on the forearm or back with a thin needle containing potential allergens or applies droplets of allergens and uses a device to scratch the area, allowing the allergens to enter the skin. Reactions like redness or wheals typically appear within 15 minutes, indicating airborne, food, or penicillin allergies. This is the most common allergy test.
- Intradermal skin test: If the skin prick assessment results are negative or inconclusive, the allergist performs an intradermal skin test. This test injects small amounts of an allergen into the epidermis. This test helps identify allergies to airborne irritants, medications, and insect stings.
- Blood (IgE) test: The allergist sends a blood sample to a laboratory. The technicians add allergens to determine the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody levels. A total IgE test measures the overall amount of IgE antibodies, while a specific IgE test assesses the response to a single allergen.
- Oral challenge test: The allergist conducts this test under strict medical supervision in their office. Patients swallow or eat a small amount of a suspected allergen. The allergist typically uses this test for food or drug allergies and ensures immediate treatment for any symptoms that develop.
- Patch test: To determine the cause of contact dermatitis, the allergist applies drops of an allergen to the skin and covers the area with a bandage or patch. After 48 to 96 hours, they remove the bandage to check for a rash or other reactions.
How to find the best allergist near you in Phoenix, AZ
Your ideal allergist will accept your insurance, be available when needed, and offer you a say in your healthcare decisions. But how do you find a qualified and experienced allergist from endless online profiles, websites, and directories? The answer is simple: Log in to Zocdoc.
With Zocdoc, you can easily find the best and most experienced allergists in your area that suit your healthcare requirements. So, create a free account on Zocdoc. Next, choose your specialty or condition, location, date, and insurance plan. A comprehensive list of doctors based on your search criteria will appear. Choosing an in-network provider can save money if you already have a health plan. If you still need help finding an allergist who accepts your insurance, our online patient help center is available. Zocdoc lets you link your medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage to your account. Keep in mind that each appointment may only use a single insurance plan.
Provide your secondary insurance information in the appointment notes if you have several insurance plans. Furthermore, if your provider uses Zocdoc's Intake forms, you can conveniently enter your secondary insurance information.
At Zocdoc, we believe in long-term, trustworthy patient-doctor relationships. All of our allergists have a unique profile. You can read about their educational qualifications, board certifications, clinical interests, expertise, experience, and spoken languages. Our allergists' profiles, user ratings, and verified reviews can help you make an informed decision before visiting an allergist. You can even perform an area-specific search on Zocdoc to locate a licensed allergist near you.
You can also book video appointments on Zocdoc before an in-person visit to better understand your allergist. Look for a purple video icon on allergists' profiles or filter the video appointment selection. You can book appointments with allergists who accept your insurance plan in real-time. Booking appointments with providers on Zocdoc is simple, secure, and free!
Statistics on asthma, allergy, and eczema in Arizona, USA
Asthma, allergies, and eczema are some of the most common conditions for which an individual must consult an allergist. All three are highly prevalent not only in Arizona but also in the country as a whole.
According to the national asthma data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2021, almost 4,675,475 (6.5%) children and 20,288,399 (8%) adults had asthma. Boys under 18 (7.3%) are more susceptible to asthma than girls (5.6%). In comparison, adult women (9.7%) are more vulnerable to asthma than adult men (6.2%). Almost 38.7% of children and 39.6% of adults with asthma reported having asthma attacks.
According to the latest US data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 24.7% of adults in the 18-44 age group, 27.9% of adults in the 45-64 age group, 26.4% of adults in the 65-74 age group and 21.7% adults in the 75+ age group reported having a seasonal allergy.
Almost 18.9% of children have a seasonal allergy, 5.8% have a food allergy, and about 10.8% have eczema. Boys (20%) are more susceptible to seasonal allergies than girls (17.7%). Almost 12.1% of children in the 6-11 age group are more vulnerable to eczema, followed by around 10.4% of children in the 0-5 age group and 9.8% of children in the 12-17 age group.
These figures stress the importance of allergists or immunologists in our society.
Sources
WebMD
Cleveland Clinic[1]
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