3 Questions To Ask When Choosing An Allergist For Your Child
An allergen specialist can help you to finally get your child's allergies under control. Here are a few questions you should ask when choosing an allergist to care for your child long-term.
What Different Allergens Can Be Detected?
Whether your child has developed one or a handful of allergies so far, it's a good idea to make sure that the allergy specialist you choose for your child can detect and treat a wide variety of different allergens in the future. If your child develops a new allergy that can't be detected and treated by their allergist, you will have to find a new service provider who can meet their needs, which can be timely and costly when all is said and done. So make sure that possible problems can be handled by making sure that the allergist you choose can detect and treat allergens like the following:
- Pet dander
- Dairy
- Tree nuts
- Soy
- Wheat
- Insect bites and stings
- Latex
- Wool
- Pollen
- Mold
The more types of allergens your chosen allergist can detect and treat, the better chance they'll be able to meet your child's healthcare needs as they age.
What Treatment Options Are Available?
It's also a good idea to find out how a prospective allergist will treat your child's allergies before deciding whether to work with them. Some allergists may stick with old-school treatment methods that they learned in college, while others stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and treatment options. Natural treatment options may also be available, depending on who you choose to work with.
If you want to make sure that things like a change in diet or lifestyle are tried before any medications are prescribed, it's important to make sure that your child's new allergist studies and offers natural treatment options to choose from. But if you're only interested in medicated options, working with an allergist who uses traditional treatment methods will likely meet your child's needs and your expectations as time goes on.
Are Other Support Services Offered?
Your child may benefit from additional support services when it comes to managing their allergy symptoms, and you may be lucky enough to find an allergist who offers such services in-house. Services such as counseling, nutritional advice, specialty testing, and exposure-avoidance planning may be available through your child's new allergist. By asking about such services during your initial consultation appointment, you'll know what to expect when deciding how to best support your child's allergy problems as they age.
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