#immunologist

Hi, immunologist here:

(a scientist who studies immune & inflammatory processes)

RFK Jr is talking absolute bullshit when he says he can “see in kids faces that they have inflammation”

That’s NOT how immunology works.

He is an anti-science profiteer.

Video captioned by PandemicHub!

Allergy and immunology are almost always combined together into one specialty.  Basically, for anything that is off with your immune system, this is where you go.  I’m going to write this guide as for a first appointment, but you’ll probably have regular follow up appointments after that are pretty similar.

The first thing they do at these appointments is weigh you, and then take your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation with that little clip on your finger).  This is the nurse’s job, and they’ll also typically ask what medications you take and what brought you in for an appointment today.

Then you waaaaait for the doctor to come in (most allergists I’ve seen are usually behind schedule, but it’s often because they’re spending as much time as needed with each patient.  So bring a book!)

The doctor will look in your ears, nose, and throat, and listen to your heart and lungs with the stethoscope.  They’ll also look at your skin to check for any rashes or color changes.  I’ve never been asked to put a gown on for an allergy appointment, so they’ll probably just look at your face and arms, unless there’s another area you know has a rash.

Interspersed with being examined will be lots of questions.  They’ll ask you about symptoms, what makes them worse, what your home is like (to identify possible environmental allergens), how often you get sick, if anyone in your family has allergies or immunodeficiencies, and a bunch more related things.  And YOU should get to ask them all your questions too!

If you’re here because you suspect you’re allergic to something, they’ll probably schedule allergy testing for you in the near future.  If you don’t regularly take allergy meds, it’s possible they’ll do skin tests on the same day, but not likely.  There are all kinds of skin tests for allergens (which I am planning to write about) and also blood tests.  Actually, you’ll probably be sent to get blood drawn regardless of what you’re here for- it’s a good way to measure a lot of immune system things.  You’re also pretty likely to be prescribed some medications, such as for allergies or asthma.  This is also where you get your first epipen if that’s something you might need!  I got a choice of what kind I wanted and they let me try out the training devices, which was nice.

Immune Recognition

Born on this day in 1928, Professor Av Mitchison has been behind many important discoveries about the immune system. Back in the 1950s, he was the first to realise that it was certain immune cells called lymphocytes, not the antibodies they produce, that led to transplants being rejected by recipients’ immune systems. He also proved that immune tolerance can build up over time, found ways to distinguish between different types of immune cells, and showed how they work together to protect us from disease. In the 1990s he switched his focus to understanding what happens when the immune system attacks our own bodies to cause conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and he won the 1995 Novartis Prize for Basic Immunology. Not only has his work shed light on the intricate complexities of how the immune system works but also underpinned the development of life-changing immunotherapies.

Written by Kat Arney

Image courtesy of Matthew Mitchison

Image copyright held by Matthew Mitchison