Frequent questions

Should I stop eating a food if I think I’m allergic to it?

Removing a food from your diet can leave you with an unbalanced diet, which may cause other health problems. Seek a doctor for assistance before making significant changes in your diet.

What is the best treatment for a food allergy reaction?

Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the medication of choice for controlling a severe reaction. It is available by prescription as a self-injectable device (EpiPen® Twinject®). If you have been prescribed this medication, carry it with you at all times!

Can I prevent Asthma?

Immunotherapy is the only proven method of treatment that can prevent the development of asthma. It is also used for allergic rhinitis treatment but not eczema.

Is there anything a pregnant mother can do to prevent allergy in her newborn child?

This is a difficult question! At this time there is no good evidence that this can be done. Although there is some evidence that food restriction by the pregnant mother can delay the start of allergy in the child, this remains doubtful. And it carries a higher risk of malnutrition in the mother and child. Hence such decision should not be taken by the family unless supervised and agreed by your allergist.

Will I outgrow the allergy?

The answer is yes for most allergies but unfortunately not all. Some food allergies go away with in the first few years of life, like milk and egg, while others are more likely to stay for life. An example of the latter is peanut, fish and shell fish. In all cases its important to get adequate substitution of the nutritional content of these foods. This is important for a balanced and healthy diet.

If my child gets many infections, does that mean he is immunodeficient?

To answer this question your doctor has to get more details of the infections and the child health. Most simple viral infections do not indicate a problem with immunity. However more complicated and recurrent infections, especially when associated with other findings in the history and exam, may be associated with immunodeficiency.

How is a primary immunodeficiency treated?

These are a very diverse group of diseases. Depending on the type of deficiency treatment will vary. It can include prophylactic antibiotics and Intravenous immunoglobulin injections. Patients with a immunodeficiency need prompt attention and evaluation in cases of fever. In some cases a stem cell transplant is the only cure available. This is a complicated procedure that needs to be done in specialized centers.