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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffMany people are diagnosed and treated for allergies by their primary care physicians. However, depending on the severity of your allergies, and the impact allergies have on your life, your primary care doctor may refer you to a doctor who specializes in treating allergies.
You can take steps ahead of time to ensure that you cover everything that's important to you. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what you can expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Ask if there are any pre-appointment restrictions, when making your appointment. For example, if you're going to have any allergy tests, your doctor will likely want you to stop taking any allergy medications for several days before the test.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, as well as what you were doing at the time you had the symptoms.
- Make a list of all the medications, vitamins or supplements that you take, and take that list with you to your appointment.
- Write down any questions you have for your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions helps you make the most of your time with your doctor. For a mold allergy, some questions you might want to ask include:
- What do you think is causing these symptoms?
- Are there tests available that can confirm a specific allergy? Do I need to prepare for these tests?
- How can I treat a mold allergy?
- What side effects can I expect from allergy medications?
- What steps can I take to get mold out of my home?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- I have another health condition. How can I best manage these conditions together?
- Do you have any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? Are there any websites that you recommend I visit?
What to expect from your doctor
To determine whether allergies or other possible causes are responsible for your symptoms, your doctor will ask you a number of questions. Your doctor will want to know:
- Exactly what symptoms you have
- What seems to trigger symptoms or make them worse
- Whether your symptoms are worse during certain times of the year or certain times of the day
- Whether your symptoms flare up when you're in certain locations, such as outdoors or in your basement
- What medications you take, including herbal remedies
- Any health problems you have
- Whether you have a family history of allergies
- If you're exposed to mold, dust, fumes or chemicals at work
- If you know of any areas with mold in your home
What you can do in the meantime
While you're waiting to see your doctor, there are numerous over-the-counter allergy medications available to ease your symptoms, such as loratadine (Claritin, Alavert), cetirizine (Zyrtec), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), clemastine (Tavist) and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton).
If you have mold in your home, it will help your symptoms if you have someone who's not allergic to mold clean the area using a solution of 1 ounce of bleach to 1 quart of water, or a commercially available mold-cleaning product. If you have to clean up the mold yourself, be sure to wear long rubber gloves, safety goggles and a mask to limit your exposure to the mold.
- Storey E, et al. Guidance for clinicians on the recognition and management of health effects related to mold exposure and moisture indoors. The Center for Indoor Environments and Health. http://oehc.uchc.edu/images/PDFs/MOLD%20GUIDE.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Mold allergy. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=15&cont=58. Accessed June 7, 2010.
- Basic facts: Molds in the environment. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm. Accessed June 7, 2010.
- A brief guide to mold, moisture and your home. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html. Accessed June 7, 2010.
- Atopic and allergic disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec13/ch165/ch165c.html. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- Weber RW. Allergic Rhinitis. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:1.
- Tips to remember: Allergy and asthma medications. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/asthmaallergymedications.stm. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- Seltzer JM, et al. Health effects of mold in children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:309.
- Saline sinus rinse recipe. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/sinusitis/rinse_recipe.pdf. Accessed June 9, 2010.
- Li JT (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 21, 2010.
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