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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're experiencing runny nose, sneezing, wheezing, shortness of breath or other symptoms that may be related to an allergy, you'll probably start by seeing your family doctor or general practitioner. Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to prepare for your appointment.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to allergy-like symptoms.
- Write down your family's history of allergy and asthma, including specific types of allergies if you know them.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements that you're taking.
- Ask if you should stop any medications, for example, antihistamines that would affect the results of an allergy skin test.
Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. For symptoms that may be related to dust mite allergy, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Are my symptoms most likely an allergic reaction, or are they the result of a cold?
- Will I need any allergy tests?
- Should I see an allergy specialist?
- What is the best treatment?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
- Are symptoms worse at certain times of day?
- Are the symptoms worse in the bedroom or other rooms of the house?
- Do you have pets, and do they go in the bedrooms?
- What kind of self-care techniques have you used, and have they helped?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Is there dampness or water damage in the home or workplace?
- Do you have an air conditioner in the home?
Issues for people with asthma
If you already have been diagnosed with asthma and are having difficulty managing the disease, your doctor may talk to you about the possibility of allergies. Although allergies are a major contributing factor to asthma, the influence of allergy on asthma severity isn't always obvious.
The impact of a pollen allergy may be noticeable because the allergy is seasonal. For example, you may have more difficulty managing your asthma for a short time during the summer. Dust mite allergy, on the other hand, is due to something to which you're constantly exposed to some degree. Therefore, you may not recognize it as a factor complicating your asthma when, in fact, it may be a primary cause.
What you can do in the meantime
If you suspect that you may have a dust mite allergy, take steps to reduce house dust, particularly in your bedroom. Keep your bedroom clean, remove dust-collecting clutter and wash bedding in hot water that is at least 130 F (54.4 C).
- Ferguson BJ. Environmental controls of allergies. Otolaryngology Clinics of North America. 2008;41(2):411-417,viii-ix.
- Platts-Mills T. Indoor allergens. In: Adkinson Jr. N, et al. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Moseby, Elsevier; 2003. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/104827333-2/0/1183/241.html?tocnode=50745740&fromURL=241.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01425-9..50041-1_1015. Accessed Sept. 9, 2008.
- Airborne Allergens: Something in the Air. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bethesda, Md.: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; 2003.
- Fletcher R. Patient information: Rhinitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
- German JA, et al. Environmental control of allergic diseases. American Family Physician. 2002;66(3):421-426.
- deShazo R, et al. Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of allergic rhinitis (rhinosinusitis). http:/www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
- deShazo R, et al. Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (rhinosinusitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 27, 2008.
- Tips to remember: What is allergy testing? American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergytesting.stm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2008.
- Tips to remember: What are "allergy shots"? American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatareallergyshots.stm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2008.
- deShazo R, et al. Patient information: Trigger avoidance in allergic rhinitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
- National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma - Summary Report 2007. Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthsumm.htm. Accessed Oct. 8, 2008.
- Platts-Mills T, et al. The role of allergens in asthma. American Family Physician. 2007;76(5):675-680.
