Your First Allergy Clinic Appointment

At your first appointment your allergist will want to talk to you for at least 30 minutes to explore the allergic symptoms that you have and the effectiveness of treatment received in the past.  If you have respiratory symptoms, a history of how those symptoms relate to your environment will be taken,  including the extent of your exposure to things known to cause allergy. 

Before you come to the clinic it would help considerably if you think about what provokes your symptoms and what seems to relieve them.  Before you come, try to identify the names of trees and bushes that grow close to your house.  Together with the history obtained at the first visit, this information is important in deciding need for allergy testing, interpreting allergy testing results, and deciding on treatment.

Bring the following things to the appointment

• Referral letter or notes from your physician, if available
• Copies of all lab results, past allergy tests, allergy injection records
• All of the medications that you are taking for allergy, asthma or any other problem including inhalers, pills, liquid medications and prescribed topical skin products.  The actual medications in their original containers are much better than a list.
• A completed questionnaire form, if this has been requested
• Any diary that relates to your symptoms
• Chest and/or sinus X-Rays or the X-Ray reports if the films are not available
• Peak flow records, if you have asthma and have used a peak flow meter at home
• Authorization for the visit from your HMO or other gatekeeper, if needed.

Disclaimer:   This site is for educational purposes only.  Any information that you have found in this web site is not intended to replace medical care or advice given to you by your own physicians. You should consider consulting your local medical library and other web sites for additional information. 

Comments and suggestions welcome!   Email: schumach@u.arizona.edu
Content Owner:  Michael J. Schumacher, MB, FRACP, The University of Arizona