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It can be a long and anxious wait to see a clinical immunology/allergy specialist about a suspected allergic reaction. Sometimes when you finish the appointment you think of all the questions you should have asked. This is very normal, so it is important to be well prepared for your appointment.
Preparing for your appointment
- Take the referral from your GP
- If you have a hospital discharge summary, also take that with you
- Have some written notes about your symptoms / reactions.
Allergic reaction to food
- When was the reaction?
- What were you doing at the time of the reaction?
- What were the symptoms?
- How long did the symptoms take to improve?
- What medications (prescribed, over-the-counter and natural remedies) were you taking at the time?
- What treatment was given?
- If you have photos of the reaction, take them with you.
- What was eaten?
- Do you have packaging, or any of the food left?
- Consider calling ahead to ask if the clinic wants you to bring in any suspected food allergen so they can skin prick test you with it.How much was eaten?
Allergic rhinitis (hay fever), allergic conjunctivitis, allergic asthma or eczema:
- What signs and symptoms do you have?
- Keep a diary of when symptoms are better/worse
- Have symptoms improved? If so, how long did the symptoms take to improve?
- What medications (prescribed, over-the-counter and natural remedies) were you taking at the time?
- What treatment was given when symptoms got worse?
- What medications (prescribed, over-the-counter and natural remedies) are you taking now?
- List what you do/have done (if anything) to reduce symptoms at home/work e.g. no gardening, hot washing bed linen, cat and dog are outside the house
- If you have photos of the symptoms that might be helpful, take them with you
Allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting
- When was the reaction?
- What were you doing at the time of the reaction?
- What were the symptoms?
- How long did the symptoms take to improve?
- What medications (prescribed, over-the-counter and natural remedies) were you taking at the time?
- What treatment was given?
- If you have photos of the reaction, take them with you.
- What insect caused the reaction (if known)?
- Where were you stung/bitten?
- Have you had an allergic reaction to an insect before? If so, what insect?
- Immunotherapy (a treatment to make you less allergic) is available for some people with insect allergy. Ask your allergy specialist about immunotherapy for insect allergy
A note about antihistamine
Be aware that with most skin prick testing you should not have antihistamine (eg: Zyrtec®, Telfast®, Claratyne®) for at least 3 days prior to the appointment. Check with the clinic as some doctors prefer you avoid antihistamines for longer than 3 days. If you are taking antihistamines, it is unlikely a skin prick test will be done at that appointment
Write down questions you might like to ask, such as:
Preparing for reactions
- Should I always have 2 adrenaline injectors with me?
- Will my next reaction be worse than the last reaction?
- Should I wear a medical identification jewellery?
Treatment and therapy options
- Will this allergy go away over time?
- Is there immunotherapy or other treatment available for my allergy?
- How can I improve my asthma or allergic rhinitis management?
Food allergy
- What should I do if I accidentally eat my allergen but have no (or only mild) symptoms?
- Do I need to remove the allergen from my house?
- Do I need to avoid products with precautionary allergen labelling statements (such as ”may contain”) for my allergen?
- Should I see a dietitian to make sure my diet is giving me the nutrition I need?
- Will I have a serious reaction if I get some of my allergen on my skin or I smell my allergen?
- Can I eat out? What about travel?
To help you prepare, ASCIA has a useful form that you can complete before your allergist visit.
What you can expect at the appointment
The allergy specialist will most likely diagnose your allergy by taking a full history of what happened when you had your reaction and by doing skin prick tests or blood tests. See this information from ASCIA about how allergies are diagnosed.
The allergy specialist may decide that you need to be prescribed an adrenaline injector (such as Anapen® or EpiPen®). You will be given a red ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis which should be carried with the adrenaline injector. The emergency plan guides you through what to do if you have an allergic reaction.
If the allergy specialist decides that you do not need an adrenaline injector because the risk of anaphylaxis is low, you will most likely be given a green ASCIA Action Plan for Allergic Reactions so you know what to do if you have another allergic reaction.
Useful links
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) has a list of specialists in each state.
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Related information
About allergies
Learn more about the different types of allergic disease including diagnosis, triggers and treatments and about allergic reactions.
Living with allergies
Learn more about daily life with allergies – including reading labels and ingredients, managing different environments and what to do if you or a loved one has an an allergic reaction.