Taking a History – What Will the Doctor Ask Me?

The diagnosis of allergy begins with careful questioning to compile what doctors call a history. A history is a very important first step in treating your allergic condition.

• Do symptoms appear when you are at a particular location, or at a given time of day, day of the week, or season of the year?
• How long have you experienced your symptoms?
• What kind of work do you do? What sort of things are you exposed to at work?
• Are there pets in the home?
• What are your hobbies?
• Do any other family members have an allergic condition?

These and many other questions help reduce the list of suspected allergens (and the number of tests needed) to a manageable number.