Connect with U.S.-based, board-certified allergy and immunology specialists online for second opinions and guidance on asthma, chronic hives, allergies, immune disorders, mast cell activation syndrome, allergy testing, and treatment plans. Securely upload your records and receive a written specialist review, with video consultation available when appropriate
Allergy and Immunology
Peter Bressler
Duke Health
Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Allergy, Asthma and ImmunologyPatricia Lugar
Duke UniversityAllergy and ImmunologyImmunology, mast cell diseaseOurExpertDoc connects U.S. and international patients with U.S.-based, board-certified allergy and immunology specialists for written medical-record reviews and optional video consultations. Patients can submit symptom histories, prior diagnoses, allergy test results, breathing-test reports, medication lists, emergency records, and treatment plans for specialist review.
A second opinion can help clarify whether symptoms, test findings, and the current diagnosis or treatment plan are consistent. It may also identify questions about additional testing, allergy shots, immunotherapy, biologic treatment, or referral that should be discussed with the local physician.
Patients commonly seek an allergist second opinion when symptoms persist, the diagnosis is uncertain, or test results do not match the symptoms.
A second opinion does not automatically mean the original diagnosis is wrong. Its purpose is to review the evidence, explain uncertainties, and support a more informed discussion with the treating physician.
A food allergy review may include reaction history, suspected foods, skin-prick or specific IgE results, complement testing, emergency visits, epinephrine use, elimination diets, and oral food challenge recommendations. A positive test can show sensitization but does not always prove a clinical food allergy.
Specialists can review asthma symptoms, triggers, spirometry or pulmonary-function reports, inhaler use, allergy testing, emergency visits, and severe-asthma or biologic treatment plans.
Patients can submit photographs, symptom timelines, swelling history, laboratory results, medication response, and treatment recommendations for chronic spontaneous urticaria, inducible hives, or recurrent angioedema.
A mast cell review may include recurrent anaphylaxis, flushing, hives, gastrointestinal symptoms, blood-pressure changes, tryptase results, urine mediator testing, KIT testing, biopsy reports, and prior treatment response. Additional timed testing or in-person evaluation may still be required.
Specialists can review recommendations for allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy, food-allergy oral immunotherapy, and biologic therapy for severe asthma or chronic hives.
Clinical immunologists can review recurrent infections, low immunoglobulin levels, abnormal vaccine-antibody responses, blood counts, genetic testing, and recommendations for immunoglobulin replacement.
Complete records help the specialist compare symptoms, exposures, test results, and treatment response. Patients should upload the records they already have rather than repeat testing solely for the consultation.
Food allergy, mast cell, or immune-deficiency cases may also benefit from food-reaction details, oral food challenge reports, tryptase results, urine mediator studies, immunoglobulin levels, vaccine-antibody titers, or genetic testing.
International patients can request a written allergy and immunology second opinion from a U.S.-based physician without immediate travel. Records should be provided in English or with a reliable English translation.
The written report can be shared with the patient's local doctor, who remains responsible for physical examination, prescriptions, supervised testing, emergency planning, and ongoing care. Video availability and consultation scope may vary by patient location, physician licensure, and applicable law.
The standard service is a written medical-record review. A video consultation may be added when appropriate and available. Neither format replaces procedures requiring direct supervision, including skin testing, oral food challenges, allergy injections, pulmonary testing, or treatment of an acute reaction.
Allergy test results should be interpreted together with symptoms and exposure history. A positive result may indicate sensitization, but it does not always prove that the allergen causes symptoms.
An online allergist can review symptoms, reaction history, medical notes, and test results. Some diagnoses still require physical examination, supervised testing, breathing tests, or timed laboratory studies.
Not always. An online consultation may be a first specialist review, while a second opinion evaluates a diagnosis, test interpretation, or treatment plan already provided by another clinician.
Patients should not assume prescriptions are included. Prescribing depends on the consultation type, physician licensure, patient location, and applicable law.
Submit prior physician notes, a symptom timeline, allergy or immune-test reports, breathing-test results, hospital records, medication history, relevant photographs, the current treatment plan, and your questions.
Yes. International patients can request a written record review from a U.S.-based specialist. Records should be in English or reliably translated.
Timing depends on physician availability, case complexity, and record completeness. Display the current estimate during the consultation process rather than promising a fixed turnaround time.
Yes. A specialist can compare skin-prick, specific IgE, component-testing, and reaction-history information. The review does not replace a medically supervised oral food challenge.
Yes. Specialists can review existing records for asthma, chronic hives, angioedema, and suspected mast cell disorders. Additional testing or in-person evaluation may still be required.
Yes. The physician can review documented allergens, symptoms, asthma control, treatment history, risks, and goals before allergy shots, sublingual or oral immunotherapy, or biologic treatment.
No. It adds specialist guidance but does not replace emergency care, physical examination, prescriptions, supervised testing, or ongoing treatment from the local physician.
Start a secure case to have persistent symptoms, an uncertain diagnosis, allergy test results, or a proposed treatment plan reviewed by a U.S.-based specialist.
OurExpertDoc is not an emergency service. For trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, severe wheezing, fainting, confusion, or rapidly worsening symptoms, use prescribed epinephrine when indicated and seek immediate emergency care. Call 911 in the United States or the local emergency number.
Medically reviewed by: Kamran Mahmood, MD, MPH
Professor of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center
Last medically reviewed: August 9, 2026
