Becoming a Patient
Your first visit will include a review of your symptom history, physical exam, and, possibly, allergy skin testing. We will also get a sense of how allergies affect your everyday life.
On your first visit, be sure to bring:
- Insurance Card
- Photo ID
- List of current medications, as well as supplements, that you are taking
- Any recent test results — skin tests, lab reports, sinus or head CT reports
- A means of paying co-pay: cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express
Medications to Stop Before Testing
To ensure accuracy of testing, you will need to stop taking antihistamines for seven days leading up to your appointment. You should contact the prescribing physician, your pharmacist or our team if you have any doubt about the safety of stopping your medication. A complete list of medications to avoid is available at our office. The most common antihistamines that would interfere with testing include:
- Allegra (fexofenadine)
- Asteline/Astepro Nasal Spray (azelastine)
- Atarax, Vistaril (hydroxyzine)
- Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
- Claritin (loratadine)
- Clarinex
- Allergy Eye Drops
- Patanase Nasal Spray (olopatadine hydrochloride)
- Xyzal (levoceterizine)
- Zantac, Pepcid or Tagamet
- Zyrtec (cetirizine)
Health Insurance
We accept most insurance carriers; however, your insurance plan may require a referral to see a specialist. Please contact your primary care physician to verify a referral. Dealing with health insurance companies can be stressful. We are happy to assist, but are only able to do so if you know and understand your policy provisions. Your provider can clarify these before your visit.
Timing
First visits usually take 1 1/2-2 hours and you should arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. To avoid a fee, cancellations must occur within 24 hours of an appointment.
PATIENT PORTAL
After your first visit, you can begin enjoying the convenience of our patient portal to manage your experience.
