Specialty5 min read
Allergy and Immunology
An allergist/immunologist evaluates, diagnoses and manages children and adults with allergic and immunologic conditions.
According to AMA FREIDA: the specialist trains in "evaluating, diagnosing and managing children and adults" with allergic and immune diseases. According to ACAAI, they treat allergy, in which "your immune system overreacts to an allergen, a substance that is often harmless, such as pollen, dust mites, moulds, insect stings and foods". ACAAI notes that "up to 50 million people, about one in five, have allergies".
FREIDA lists conditions the specialist manages: respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, skin disorders such as eczema and urticaria (hives), food allergy, immunodeficiency syndromes, autoimmune diseases, and systemic disorders such as anaphylaxis and vasculitis. ACAAI lists food allergy, insect stings, medicines, seasonal pollen, skin, pets, hay fever, latex and eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). According to ACAAI the treatment strategy rests on three pillars: identifying and avoiding triggers, using drug treatments, and having an emergency plan for severe attacks. This page does not cover treatment guidelines for any condition; the treatment category is chosen with the doctor.
In one minute123
- What is it?
- A specialty concerned with allergic and immune diseases in children and adults.
- Who is usually affected?
- People with allergies (nose, skin, food, medicines or stings), asthma, or a suspected immune disorder.
- Acute or chronic?
- Allergy assessment and tests, then a plan to avoid triggers, drug treatment, and an emergency plan for severe cases, with follow-up.
- Main symptoms
- Depends on the condition; this page does not list detailed symptoms.
- Red flags?
- Anaphylaxis and severe reactions call for emergency care immediately (a conservative general warning; FREIDA lists anaphylaxis among the conditions and ACAAI mentions an emergency plan for severe attacks).
- Preventable?
- ACAAI mentions identifying and avoiding triggers, and that early diagnosis of children's allergies improves the child's quality of life and reduces days of school absence.
What is it?
According to FREIDA: a medical specialty in which physicians train in "evaluating, diagnosing and managing children and adults" with allergic and immune conditions. ACAAI describes allergy as an overreaction of the immune system to a substance that is often harmless. NIAID describes allergic diseases as abnormal immune reactions to normally harmless substances.
Conditions it covers
According to FREIDA: asthma and allergic rhinitis, eczema and urticaria, food allergy, immunodeficiency syndromes, autoimmune diseases, anaphylaxis, and vasculitis. NIAID lists asthma, eczema (atopic dermatitis) and food allergy as the main allergic diseases, and says that food allergy affects "about 8% of children and about 11% of adults in the United States".
Related pages on this site: allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis and the immune system. MedlinePlus states that hay fever (allergic rhinitis) occurs when tree, grass and weed pollen reaches the nose and throat, and its page refers the reader to "find an allergist and immunologist" in the experts section. NIAID describes asthma as a "chronic lung disease marked by episodes of narrowing and blocking of the airways", and supports research into its immune mechanisms. NIAID's asthma page did not name the allergy specialist; the link to the specialty is based on the FREIDA list.
Common tests and procedures
According to ACAAI the specialist provides allergy testing and diagnosis, including tests designed for children and infants. MedlinePlus states in hay fever that diagnosis may rely on examination and symptoms, and sometimes skin or blood tests. It also lists medicines, nasal sprays and allergy shots among the treatments. This page does not cover the details of tests or the criteria for choosing treatment; this is decided with the doctor.
When to see one
According to FREIDA the specialty requires "at least nine additional years of training after the bachelor's degree": three years of residency in internal medicine or paediatrics, then two years of fellowship in allergy and immunology, and many work in private clinics or teaching hospitals and others in research. These are US details.
Referral to the specialist is usually decided by the primary care provider according to the condition (MedlinePlus). This page does not cover detailed referral criteria.
When do you need urgent help?
Call emergency services now 998
- Difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, severe dizziness or fainting after exposure to a possible allergy trigger (food, medicine or sting): seek emergency care immediately. (A conservative general warning; this page does not cover detailed lists of danger signs, and ACAAI mentions the need for an emergency plan for severe attacks.)21
Educational content only — no diagnosis, and no substitute for a clinician.
Common questions
Questions for your doctor
- What triggers my allergy and how do we confirm it?
- Which tests are suitable and what are their limits?
- What are the treatment options (avoiding triggers, medicines and others), and their benefits and risks?
- Do I need a written emergency plan for severe allergic reactions?
- When should I see you again, and what should I do if symptoms worsen?
References
- 1AMA FREIDA. Allergy and Immunology — specialty description. freida.ama-assn.org/specialty/allergy-and-immunologyEducational & historical references · Accessed 2026-10-06
- 2ACAAI. Allergies (what allergists/immunologists treat). acaai.org/allergies/Educational & historical references · Accessed 2026-10-06
- 3NIAID. Allergic diseases. www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/allergic-diseasesHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06
- 4MedlinePlus. Hay fever. medlineplus.gov/hayfever.htmlHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06
- 5NIAID. Asthma. www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/asthmaHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06
- 6MedlinePlus. Types of health care providers. medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001933.htmHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-06
Review status: Edited content · Last updated:
Change log
- — Page created.
Educational content only — no diagnosis, and no substitute for a clinician.