Allergist

Allergology is a branch of medicine, the main specificity of which is the study of various allergic reactions and diseases arising from them. In addition, this area specializes in the study of the causes that influence the occurrence of such reactions, the principles of their development, including various methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases, as well as their prevention.

An allergist is a specialist whose activities are aimed directly at diagnosing allergic diseases, their treatment and prevention of occurrence. What exactly does this specialist treat? What therapeutic methods does he use in his work? When should you see an allergist? All this can be found in this article.

What is the purpose of an allergist?

The activity of a qualified allergist is aimed at identifying the causes of various allergic reactions and diseases developing against their background, which can manifest themselves in the form of a variety of symptoms. It can be both harmless redness on the skin, and severe allergic manifestations, such as Quincke’s edema or anaphylactic shock.

The fact is that all allergic reactions, regardless of their manifestation, have the same nature of occurrence.

It consists in the increased sensitivity of the body to external allergens. In the normal state, these substances are completely safe and harmless, and in the case of allergies, they are the causative agents of severe conditions, or allergens that cause irritant responses from the body’s immune system.

What happens when such substances enter the body of a person who is allergic or hypersensitive to them?

In this case, the immune system considers the allergen as a threat and does its best to get rid of it. The result of this is the production at the cellular level of special substances – histamines, an excessive amount of which provokes the occurrence of instant and strong reactions.

Once an allergy occurs, it haunts a sick person for the rest of his life. In addition, allergic reactions in this case can be caused not necessarily by the same allergen, but also by others similar to the original source in structure and origin.

There are also cases when the occurrence of an allergic reaction was caused by absolutely different irritants from each other.

What diseases are within the competence of an allergist

An allergist specializes in the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of the following diseases:

• allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis (this is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and eyes caused by various allergens);
• allergic seasonal rhinoconjunctivitis (otherwise pollinosis or hay fever. It manifests itself in the form of inflammatory processes of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, accompanied by dermatitis and various nervous reactions);
• atopic dermatitis – a disease that often manifests itself in childhood and has a genetic predisposition (characterized by acute itching, rash, dry skin and thickening);
• acute and chronic urticaria (the disease is manifested by the appearance of a rash on the skin in the form of blisters, redness, swelling and itching);
• bronchial asthma – an allergic disease of the lower respiratory tract, which is characterized by: the presence of bronchospasm, swelling of the mucous membrane of the bronchioles, increased production of mucus;
• angioedema or Quincke’s edema (with this disease, severe swelling of the connective tissues of the neck, face, genital organs occurs. Its clinical signs are: puffiness of the lips, eyelids, neck, earlobes, labia and scrotum. Sometimes the upper body is also affected. The most dangerous its variety is swelling of the neck, which leads to a significant narrowing of the airways and requires surgical intervention or the help of an anesthetist);
• allergic contact dermatitis (a disease characterized by the presence of skin reactions directly at the site of contact with the allergen: reddening of the integument, swelling, the appearance of vesicles, followed by their bursting);
• anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock – an allergic condition caused by a large release of histamines in response to the penetration of an allergen (this severe reaction develops instantly – within a few minutes after contact with an irritant. In severe cases, it is characterized by severe bronchospasms and a sharp decrease in blood pressure. Without immediate proper therapy, death in such states occurs in a matter of minutes);
• food, insect, drug allergies;
• gynecological, urological and viral diseases.

The competence of the allergist also includes diseases such as furunculosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, mycotic lesions, and various other inadequate reactions of the body to food, insect bites or medicines.

What symptoms require an allergist consultation?

At the first signs of a disease or allergic reactions, it is urgent to visit an allergist.

Symptoms that indicate the development of this process include:

• nasal congestion, sneezing, itching sensation in the nasal cavity;
• chronic rhinitis;
• inadequate reaction to the flowering of herbs or trees, a runny nose that occurs at certain times of the year;
• the occurrence of shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, respiratory spasms;
• rashes on the skin, accompanied by severe itching;
• tearing and redness of the eyes, photosensitivity.

In addition, often allergic reactions can cause sleep disturbances, insomnia, severe fatigue, low performance, headaches, and constant relapses of chronic diseases.

Allergist appointment, disease diagnostics

An appointment with an allergist, as a rule, includes: a survey and examination of the patient, clinical studies to identify allergies and the appointment of appropriate treatment.

With a thorough questioning of the patient, based on his answers, the doctor already outlines a preliminary picture of the diagnosis, which he subsequently confirms by examination and laboratory tests. Inspection is carried out when there are external signs of allergies.

In the case of difficulty breathing, spasms of the airways or anaphylactic shock, treatment is prescribed after a quick examination, since in some cases every minute counts.

The nature and localization of the rash can say a lot about the disease that has arisen, and, first of all, distinguish infectious pathology from allergic manifestations.

In addition, to visualize the complete clinical picture of the disease, the allergist can also probe the lymph nodes, examine the condition of unaffected areas of the skin, and assess the condition and functioning of other internal organs.

Additional clinical studies that an allergist has the right to appoint are as follows:

• cytological studies of scrapings from the tonsils and auditory openings, to identify fungal infections;
• a blood test for total IgE – immunoglobulin E;
• microscopic examination of sputum;
• PCR diagnostics;
• skin, provocative and elimination tests;
• blood test for bacterial culture;
• research on specific antibodies to allergens;
• performing a scarification test, princ testing.

Other laboratory tests may be required on a case-by-case basis.

, such as:

• CT scan;
• radiography;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• general and biochemical blood test;
• Ultrasound of internal organs;
• coagulogram;
• biopsy;
• tumor markers;
• troponins.

Treatment methods for allergic diseases

Currently, the treatment of allergic diseases is carried out in three ways: pharmacotherapy, elimination therapy and antigen-specific immunotherapy.

Elimination therapy is based on a complete break in the patient’s contact with a possible allergen. This technique is mainly used in acute allergic attacks, when urgent treatment is needed.

Pharmacotherapy is also used in the acute and subacute periods of the course of allergies, and during the exacerbation of chronic diseases. In addition, the drug treatment method is used in advance, for example, before the flowering of plants begins to prevent hay fever.

The methods of antigen-specific immunotherapy include: desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccination.

The basis of these methods is to increase the tolerance of the immune system to the allergen by introducing it in meager dosages into the patient’s body and then gradually increasing the doses.

When using antigen-specific immunotherapy, there are certain risks of severe allergic reactions, so this treatment is carried out exclusively in a hospital under the strict supervision of a physician.

Immunology and allergology are very close fields of medicine, but they are far from the same. Allergology is one of the branches of immunology that studies the body’s hypersensitivity reactions to various external stimuli. Immunology also includes autoimmune disorders, immunodeficiency syndromes and other diseases.

However, an immunologist and an allergist are specialists in both of these disciplines, so when referring to a specialist, you should not choose between an allergist or an immunologist, as they have a close specialization.

Summing up

An allergist is a specialist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergic diseases caused by various external irritants – allergens. Some body reactions to such irritants may be insignificant, while others, if not treated in a timely manner, lead to death in a matter of minutes.

That is why it is extremely important at the first signs of an allergy or inadequate reactions to various types of irritants to contact a qualified allergist-immunologist who will help diagnose and prescribe the appropriate treatment. It should also be noted that a timely appeal to a good specialist and the immediate start of therapy for allergic diseases allows you to get rid of them forever.