It’s April and pollen is in the air! For many of us, this means suffering from allergies. Whether we are fighting the urge to sneeze, our eyes are swelling up, or we are experiencing other symptoms, allergies often cause us to head to the doctor’s office.
There are many types of physicians who treat allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American (http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=22&cont=310), “pediatricians, general practitioners, internists, allergists and pulmonologists can all treat asthma and allergies.” Allergists are physicians who have spent additional time training and have also become board certified in the area of allergy and immunology.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (http://www.aaaai.org/home.aspx) is a professional association of physicians who specialize in this field. If you are interested in learning more about becoming an allergist, you can click the “Find an Allergist/Immunologist” at the top of the page and search for allergists in your area. You can then contact them to see if you could shadow them or even just have a brief chat (informational interview) to learn more about what they do. As any allergy sufferer can tell you, these physicians make a huge difference in the lives of their patients!
