Why See an Allergist?

Many people begin by "self-treating" their allergies with over-the-counter medications. If your allergy symptoms don't improve or if the symptoms persist, you may be wondering if you should see an allergist. You may even wonder what an allergist does.

An allergist diagnoses, treats, and manages allergy-related conditions like allergic rhinitis and asthma. Through testing, an allergist can identify the allergens that cause your symptoms or determine if you have allergies or not, since many of the symptoms of allergies are mimicked by non-allergic causes. Your allergist can also help manage medication side effects and offer advice on immunotherapy options. By controlling your nasal symptoms we may prevent the need for surgery for chronic ear and sinus problems.

What is an Allergist?

An allergist/immunologist is a physician with specialty training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases, asthma and diseases of the immune system. To become an allergist, an individual must attend college, medical school (4 years), undergo a residency training in either Internal Medicine or Pediatrics (3 years), and complete an Allergy and Immunology fellowship (2 years). Upon completing the fellowship they must then pass a comprenhensive exam directed exclusively over the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology. Dr. Frank Hampel and Dr. Priyanka Gupta have completed the above training, passed the comprehensive exam, and are both board certified in Allergy and Immunology.