Adventures of an Allergist Mommy

Clinician. Diagnostician. Prognostician. Healer. A physician has many jobs to perform, all critical to the appropriate management of what ails our patients. Without astute physical exam skills or a keen ability to sort through a medical history to uncover salient data, the physician is no better at diagnosing a patient than a Google search (and we're quite a lot better, in case anyone was wondering). Without a proper understanding of physiology and pharmacology, the physician is no better at healing than a placebo, and might actually do harm! As patients, we rightfully base our assessments of our physicians' competence on their ability to (as quickly and non-invasively as possible) determine what's wrong, and what to do about it. Unfortunately, we have also come to view physicians as the barrier to care, rather than the source of care. Who stands between the sick patient and the antibiotic? Whose signature is required before the blood test can be performed? The fundam...

Horrible, isn't it? I feel no guilt whatsoever about the following dishonest charade... Setting: Trusty Honda Civic, en route to a casual dinner out with the family. Son #1: I want to go to Red Lobster! Son #2: Red Lobster! Red Lobster! DH: (whispering to me) Not tonight. I'll spend the whole time shelling crab legs for him. I just want a relaxing meal. Allergist Mommy: Okay, kiddo. Let me call the restaurant... (fake dials phone, lifts to ear) "Hello, Red Lobster? Do you have a table for 4? Yes, for tonight. Oh, really? Well, how soon will a table be open? 11pm?!?! No no, that's too late. Maybe some other time. Thank you. bye." Honey, they are too full right now. How about Mexican? Son #1: Okay, Mommy. I like their chips! DH: Awesome. This trick will only work for another couple of years. Until then, I intend to milk it dry.

For nearly a century, doctors have known that the best way to control environmental allergy symptoms is by retraining your immune system to tolerate substances that you are currently over-reacting to. This is known as “immunotherapy”.   Until recently, immunotherapy required multiple small injections over a period of time (subcutaneous immunotherapy). Although allergy injection treatment is very safe and effective, weekly trips to the doctor for shots are not always convenient for today’s busy families. This means that many patients are not able to take advantage of allergen immunotherapy’s numerous health benefits, such as decreased need for medications, improved hay fever and asthma control, prevention of asthma in high-risk children, and a better night’s sleep. Sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops, can offer the benefits of immunotherapy to a wider array of patients. These drops are made from the same FDA-approved allergen extracts used in allergy injection treatme...