Which department should you go to the hospital for if you have a food allergy?

For routine screening of food allergens and treatment of chronic and recurring food allergies, the first choice is the allergy department of the hospital (some hospitals are also labeled as allergy departments). However, the specific department to be admitted depends on the severity of the onset and core symptoms and can be adjusted flexibly. It is not a rigid rule.

Last week, my relative's 6-year-old child developed large hives for three weeks in a row when he touched eggs, which disappeared and recurred several times. He made a special appointment with the allergy department of a tertiary hospital. Not only did he do a food-specific IgE test and it was confirmed that he was allergic to eggs, the doctor also patiently listed egg replacement recipes for different age groups and taught parents how to keep a food diary to avoid cross-allergy. It was much more systematic than the previous prescription of anti-itch ointment in the dermatology department of a community hospital.

Some people may say that the small hospital here has never heard of an allergy department. You can't go dozens of kilometers to a big hospital just because of an allergy, right? No need at all. In this case, just choose a department based on your symptoms. If every time you have an allergy, you experience wheals on the skin, redness, swelling and itching around the mouth, and no other discomforts, a dermatologist can completely treat the symptoms. The prescribed antihistamines will basically disappear after a day or two. ； If you have abdominal pain, diarrhea, or even diarrhea every time you eat suspicious food, but your skin is fine, a gastroenterologist can also check for allergens for you. This is also a common choice for many grassroots patients. After all, the most important thing is to solve the current discomfort first.

If there is a sudden and serious situation, there is no need to worry about the department. A while ago, my colleague took two mouthfuls of mango and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak, and his throat was stuffed with cotton. We rushed him to the emergency department and started taking medicine in less than ten minutes. This kind of severe allergic reaction progresses very fast. It may be dangerous a few minutes later. After the symptoms stabilize, we can go to a specialist to check the allergens for follow-up intervention.

Nowadays, many people think that "as long as you have a rash due to allergies, you should go to the dermatologist, and there is no need to go to the allergist." This statement is actually not wrong. If it is just an occasional food allergy and the symptoms are very mild, the medicine prescribed by the dermatologist can completely solve the problem. However, if you have repeated allergies, want to identify all the triggers at the root, or even want to do desensitization treatment to get rid of allergy problems, a specialized allergist will be more suitable. There is no problem with either option. It all depends on your medical needs. If you are really unsure, go to the hospital and ask the consultation desk first. Explain your symptoms and past allergies clearly. The advice given by the consultation will be correct, saving you a lot of time and waste of worrying about calling the wrong number.