
Adult respondents to the patient survey reported that their allergies had been diagnosed most often by:
- physicians in family practice (46%)
- allergists/immunologists (17%)
- otolaryngologists, ENT (11%).
Children's allergies had been diagnosed most often by pediatricians (41%) and family practitioners (22%).
Most respondents with conditions diagnosed by an allergist/immunologist (95%) or otolaryngologist (63%) had been given an allergy test, but the test was not given to most patients with conditions diagnosed by family practitioners (61%) or pediatricians (65%).
Most patients (76%) were treating their allergies with over-the-counter medications, and 53% were taking prescription medications.
Allergen immunotherapy was being used by 33% (adult) or 28% (child) patients of allergist/immunologists, 25% (adult) or 24% (child) patients of otolaryngologists, and 8% and 10% of patients of family practitioners and pediatricians, respectively.
Treatment Options for Allergic Rhinitis (AR) and Non-Allergic Rhinitis (NAR) in 6 Steps (click to enlarge the image).
References:
Diagnosis and treatment of nasal and ocular allergies: the Allergies, Immunotherapy, and RhinoconjunctivitiS (AIRS) surveys. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Volume 112, Issue 4 , Pages 322-328.e1, April 2014.
http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(14)00106-9/abstract
Image source: Wikipedia, Creative Commons license.