Allergies are among the most common diseases people suffer from. Anyone who has an allergic reaction or wants to have an allergy treated is at the right address with an allergist. In most cases, it is specialists in other specialties who offer additional allergy diagnostics and therapies.
What is an allergist?
The additional title ‘allergologist’ can dermatologists, ENT physicians, internists, pediatricians, general practitioners or even pulmonary specialists acquire and then allergology. Allergology deals with human allergies and their diagnosis and treatment. Dermatologists, ENT physicians, internists, pediatricians, general practitioners or pulmonary specialists can acquire the additional title of allergologist and then work in allergology. Thus, allergology is already a subspecialty of the individual specialties.
Treatments and therapy
The allergist, as the name suggests, specializes in allergies. Humans can basically react allergically to all substances occurring around them. These can be foods, grasses, pollen, house dust, animal dander, insect venom (bee or wasp sting), chemicals, cosmetic additives, medications or even metals. Unusual and rare allergies, such as to human semen, are also known. Allergies can manifest themselves as watery eyes, rashes, scratchy throat and a “snuffy nose“, but they can also lead to emergency situations such as anaphylactic shock. Here, due to a substance to which one is allergic, a violent allergic reaction with respiratory distress occurs, which can trigger a state of shock and can be potentially fatal if not treated immediately. Such patients usually carry an emergency kit that they can always refer to in an emergency. Allergies can be treated, for example by desensitization/hyposensitization, in which the allergy-causing substance is repeatedly administered to the patient in small doses in a controlled manner until the body no longer reacts allergically. This is not possible for every patient and may only be carried out under medical supervision. Such treatment is often used for allergies to animal dander, grasses and pollen, or to bee venom or wasp venom.
Methods of diagnosis and examination
The allergological diagnosis consists of several parts. First of all, the doctor will always try to find the causes and a possible treatment for the allergy based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination. Blood tests and prick tests are also available. In prick or scratch tests, allergens are pricked (prick test) or scratched (scratch test) into the skin and a certain time is waited until an allergic reaction should have occurred. If this has not occurred, there is no allergy to the substance. Control testing with histamine is used to ensure what an allergic reaction would look like in that patient. Allergy tests can also be performed with a so-called epicutaneous test, which is applied to the skin and read for the first time after about 48 hours, and for the second time after 72 hours. There is also the RAST (radioallergosorbent test) blood test, in which blood is taken from the patient and tested for allergens in a laboratory. However, this only provides information on whether there is currently an allergy to a particular substance. Doctors also distribute allergy passports in this context. These should be carried at all times and renewed regularly. Allergies to certain medications, which should also be noted in this passport, must be communicated to any additional physician. Allergies in this area are possible, for example, to antibiotics or penicillin or local anesthetics. All treating physicians must know about this in order to be able to treat alternatively.
What should the patient be aware of?
Patients who need to see an allergist can primarily see a dermatologist, an ENT specialist, a lung specialist, an internist, pediatrician or general practitioner who is also an allergist. There are also special allergy test centers in clinics or skin outpatient clinics. This can be inquired in the respective hospital. Only those who go to a doctor approved by the health insurance company can have these tests and treatments covered by their health insurance.If you need a special test, it is best to ask the allergist before the visit whether he offers it. Surely he will also be able to offer alternatives or have suitable telephone numbers ready.
