When should I see an allergy specialist?
Well, number one, you should see an allergy specialist if it's a diagnostic problem. If they think, "Well, I'm not sure. It may be an allergy, it may be this; it may be something else," then it may be useful to see an allergist. Another reason is when you need specific equipment that your family physician may not be able to provide; skin tests, pulmonary function tests, the R.A.S. test that we mentioned before. Another indication for a referral to a specialist is if there are complicating comorbidities, if you will. If in addition to allergic rhinitis, I'm getting recurrent ear infections. I'm getting sinusitis. I've got asthma. There seems to be more here than an allergy. An allergist or a specialist could help you to sort those things out. Another reason that one sees a specialist is if it's a medical/legal involvement; it may be helpful then. Some people will say, ever since I started working at the XYZ Corporation, I'm getting wheezing and rashes, and they say it's not an allergy. They say it's something in my life, and I know it's something there. That's the sort of a thing that an allergist may be able to help you with. However, the major time to see an allergist, or get a second opinion is if you're uncomfortable, or your physician is uncomfortable with the way things are going. We don't have to put up with discomfort. None of us know everything, but some of us need the opportunity to get a second opinion, because the first one just hasn't been reassuring enough, or we're not happy with it.
