Long-term follow-up for peanut allergy: what to check at clinic visits
Long-term follow-up is not only about antibody tests. It also covers symptoms, nutrition and a review of your emergency plan.
What follow-up usually looks at
- Whether there has been any accidental contact or reaction in the past period, and how severe it was
- Trends in relevant test results over time, rather than a single value
- Height, weight and nutritional status, to check whether the substitute diet is reasonable
- Whether the medicines, doses and expiry dates in the emergency plan need adjusting
- Whether the conditions for reassessment are met, and when an assessment can be arranged
Records to keep day to day
Organise your food records, symptom timeline, medicine use and test reports in date order, and bring them all to the follow-up visit. Before the appointment, you can also write down the two or three questions you care about most, so you do not forget them on the day.
Things not to do
Do not try to reintroduce peanut or peanut products on your own without a doctor's guidance; do not relax avoidance and emergency preparation just because there have been no symptoms for a while; do not delay follow-up after a more serious reaction.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If your symptoms affect daily life, please see a doctor.