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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by seeing your family doctor, a general practitioner or your child's pediatrician. However, you may then be referred to a doctor who specializes in allergic disorders (allergist-immunologist).
Because appointments can be brief, and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance. For example, if you're going to have allergy testing done, your doctor will want you to stop taking antihistamine medications for a certain time period before the test.
- Write down any symptoms you or your child have experienced, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Make a list of any medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements that you or your child is taking, if applicable.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of it. For a milk allergy, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Do you think this is a milk allergy or lactose intolerance?
- What kinds of tests do I or my child need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
- Can my child outgrow this allergy?
- Are there any treatments available, or will my child need to avoid milk and milk products?
- Which foods are most likely to contain milk products?
- Does my child need to stay away from other children drinking milk?
- What do I need to tell my child's school about this allergy?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
- Do I need to have an epinephrine pen available at all times?
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 or your child first experience a reaction to milk?
- Can you describe the reaction?
- Does this happen every time you consume milk or something made with milk?
- How soon after you consume milk or milk products do your symptoms begin?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- Does anything seem to improve your symptoms, such as allergy medication or milk avoidance?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- Have you tried any of the products made for people with lactose intolerance? If yes, did those help?
- Is anyone in your family allergic to milk?
What you can do in the meantime
If you've eaten something containing milk, and you're experiencing mild allergy symptoms, taking an antihistamine medication may lessen your discomfort. But, be on the lookout for more-severe symptoms that might require medical attention. If you or your child has any symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction, seek emergency medical care immediately.
- Atopic and allergic disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec13/ch165/ch165c.html?qt=milk allergy&alt=sh. Accessed June 9, 2009.
- Food allergy: An overview. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/PDF/foodallergy.pdf. Accessed June 9, 2009.
- Sicherer SH. Food allergens: Overview of clinical features and crossreactivity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Chapman JA, et al. Food allergy: A practice parameter. 2006; 96: S1.
- Kurowski K, et al. Food allergies: Detection and management. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1678.
- Tips to remember: Food allergy. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/foodallergy.stm. Accessed June 9, 2009.
- Keet CA, et al. Food allergy and anaphylaxis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2007;27:193.
- Food allergy in infants and children. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/understanding/children.htm. Accessed June 9, 2009.
- Thygarajan A, et al. American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on the effects of early nutritional interventions on the development of atopic disease. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2008;20:698.
- Milk allergy. Food Allergy Initiative. http://www.faiusa.org/?page=milk. Accessed June 10, 2009.
