Decide what qualities are most important to you - experience, reputation, good bedside manner, office hours/location, or insurance coverage, for example. While the doctor with the highest grade point average may be the best choice for some, a physician’s manner is more important to others.

Because no two asthma or allergy cases are the same, look for a physician who will help you sort through all possible allergens, irritants, or conditions - such as sinusitis (infection of the sinuses), gastroesophageal reflux (heartburn or regurgitation), or food allergies - that may be causing your symptoms. Your doctor should then develop a treatment plan you can understand and use.

What is the doctor’s treatment philosophy? If she plans to treat your asthma just in the most severe instances, she’s only doing 50 percent of her job. Choose an assertive physician, one who takes a preventive approach. Expect a customized written asthma management plan that includes early intervention measures to prevent asthma episodes and attacks from occurring in the first place.

Look for a physician who will really listen to you. You may have already met the ones that breeze in and out of the exam room without giving you a chance to ask even one question. As a patient, you have the right to voice your comments, concerns, and questions. Only you know how you feel physically - and mentally. Describe your symptoms so your doctor can properly treat your asthma or allergies. Remember, the doctor is there to help you; she should respect you enough to stop and listen.

A physician should be willing to share her knowledge of asthma and allergies with you instead of leaving you to follow instructions blindly. She should explain what happens physically during an asthma or allergy attack, why the prescribed medications and treatment plan were selected, and when to seek emergency help. By reviewing some of the basic facts with you, your physician empowers you to handle your daily healthcare needs outside her office. If she throws around lengthy medical terms without explanation and fails to clearly outline your treatment options, she’s not the doctor for you.

Does the physician encourage you to learn more about your asthma and allergies? Does she offer reading lists, books, videos, or support group contact information? She should!

Reprinted from Allergy & Asthma Health magazine, Summer 2001.

Find a physician near you! Check out AANMA’s Physician Locator, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s Allergist Locator, or the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s Physician Referral System.