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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffTo get the most from your appointment, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and to know what to expect from your doctor.
- Write down any symptoms you've had, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to recall all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. Some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Are my symptoms likely caused by an allergy or another reaction?
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes for my symptoms or condition?
- What tests do I need?
- Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?
- What's the best treatment?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
- Are there any restrictions I need to follow?
- Should I see a specialist?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- I have other medical problems. How can I manage them together?
- Are there brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?
- Do I need to carry an epinephrine autoinjector?
If your child is seeing the doctor for a peanut allergy, you may also want to ask:
- Are there alternatives to the food or foods that trigger my child's allergy symptoms?
- How can I help keep my child with peanut allergy safe at school?
- Is my child likely to outgrow his or her allergy?
Don't hesitate to ask any other questions.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, including:
- When did you begin noticing symptoms?
- After eating peanuts, how long did it take symptoms to appear?
- What quantity of peanuts did you eat?
- Did you take any over-the-counter allergy medications, such as antihistamines, and if so, did they help?
- Does your reaction seem to be triggered only by peanuts or by other foods as well?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
What you can do in the meantime
If you suspect you have a peanut allergy, avoid exposure to peanuts until your doctor's appointment. If you have a severe reaction, seek emergency help.
References
- Peanuts. Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. http://www.foodallergy.org/page/peanuts. Accessed March 4, 2012.
- Food allergy: An overview. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/research/Pages/ReportFoodAllergy.aspx. Accessed March 4, 2012.
- Husain Z, et al. Peanut allergy: An increasingly common life-threatening disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2012;66:136.
- Finkelman FD. Peanut allergy and anaphylaxis. Current Opinion in Immunology. 2010;22:783.
- Tintinalli JE, et al. Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6358201. Accessed March 4, 2012.
- Hay WW, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics. 20th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6589316. Accessed March 4, 2012.
- Pansare M, et al. Peanut allergy. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2010;22:642.
- Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States: Summary of the NIAID-sponsored expert panel report. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/clinical/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed March 6, 2012.
- School guidelines for managing students with food allergies. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. http://www.foodallergy.org/page/food-allergy--anaphylaxis-network-guidelines. Accessed March 6, 2012.
- Peanut allergy. American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Types/food-allergies/types/Pages/peanut-allergy.aspx. Accessed March 6, 2012.
- Kim EH, et al. Sublingual immunotherapy for peanut allergy: Clinical and immunologic evidence of desensitization. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2011;127:640.
- Stahl MC, et al. Potential therapies for peanut allergy. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 2011;106:179.
- Varshney P, et al. A randomized controlled study of peanut oral immunotherapy: Clinical desensitization and modulation of the allergic response. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2011;127:654.
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