Board certified allergists are specialists who have met the highest level of nationally-recognized standards for education and expertise in the field of allergy, asthma and immunology.

This formal and lengthy education process is necessary to cultivate the expertise required to provide the highest-quality of care for patients with allergies and asthma. By achieving board certification, allergists demonstrate their commitment to excellence and expertise in their field, which translates to state-of-the-art, evidence-based care.

Board certification tells you that your doctor has attained the highest level of expertise to treat your health issues.

When you start searching for an allergist/immunologist, it’s important to make sure you find a doctor you are comfortable with and you can trust.

Search online for information about the doctors you are considering and ask people you trust for names of physicians they recommend. Then visit Certification Matters and enter your doctor’s name to determine if he or she is board-certified. This is a service that allows you to see if a specific doctor is certified.

Yes. When you become allergic to an allergen, your body creates special antibodies to fight against it. These allergic antibodies are called IgE antibodies. IgE antibodies are formed in the bone marrow and travel in the bloodstream before being deposited in the skin and other tissues where they remain for weeks to months.

Although allergy skin tests are considered the gold standard for allergy testing, blood testing can also be used to measure IgE antibodies circulating in your bloodstream

There are three main ways to get tested for allergies:

1. Skin Tests – Skin tests are commonly used to identify many potential allergens, including airborne, food-related, and contact allergens.
2. Blood Tests – If you are not a candidate for an allergy skin test, your allergist may suggest a blood test.
3. Elimination Diet – To detect which foods are causing an allergic reaction, your allergist may recommend an elimination diet. This involves removing certain foods from your diet and determining if you're symptoms improve, and then adding the food back to see if you have a reaction.