Find diagnosis and management options for allergic and immunological diseases, including:

• Allergies – Sneezing, itching, swelling, rashes or other symptoms caused by your immune system overreacting to a substance that shouldn’t cause symptoms 
  • Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) – Caused by substances in the air, such as pollens, dust mites, animal dander and mold spores 
  • Food allergies – Triggered by a particular protein found in a food 
  • Drug allergies – Caused by a medication, such as an antibiotic or a one used during surgery 
  • Stinging insect allergies – Caused by venom from an insect sting (honeybee, hornet, wasp, or yellow jacket) 
• Asthma – Long-term condition characterized by inflammation of the airways leading to periods of wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness 
• Immunodeficiency disorders – Inability of the immune system to protect the body from certain infections, which may be genetic or due to an environmental factor (chemotherapy, malnutrition, etc.) 
• Anaphylaxis – life-threatening reactions to various substances, characterized by hives, tongue and lip swelling, wheezing, and shock 
• Hives (urticaria) – Itchy, raised areas of skin; may be caused by an allergic reaction, viral infections, cold or heat, sun exposure, or exercise 
• Swelling (angioedema) – Swelling under the skin, most commonly of the eyelids, lips, and extremities 
• Sinus disease and nasal polyps – Inflammation of the sinuses that can cause congestion, post-nasal drip, and difficulty smelling 

You’ll get comprehensive care for your allergy, asthma or immunodeficiency disorder at OHSU’s Allergy and Immunology Clinic. Service we offer include: 

• Allergy testing – Places a very small amount of an allergen into your skin to test for environmental, food and stinging insect allergies 
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy) – Developing tolerance to allergens and reduce the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and stinging insect allergies 
• Biologic therapies (injections) – Helps treat moderate to severe persistent asthma, nasal polyps, eczema, and chronic urticaria 
• Drug challenges and desensitization – In-office drug challenges can help determine if you are allergic to a specific drug; desensitization can help you tolerate a medication that you are allergic to if it is needed to treat a specific condition 
• Food challenges – Testing performed by giving small amounts of foods to determine if you are allergic to a specific food. Learn more about food allergy tests.
• Food desensitization – Immunotherapy which desensitizes you to food(s) that you are allergic to; used for IgE-mediated food allergies. Read more about IgE-mediated food allergies.
• Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy – Replaces antibodies to help protect your body from bacteria, viruses and other things that can make you ill; used to treat immunodeficiency disorders 

The Immune Deficiency Clinic at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital provides specialized outpatient care for patients with primary immune deficiencies. Our program utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment tools to provide the best care possible for our patients and actively engages in research to develop new therapies.  

We work closely with other subspecialists at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital as we understand patients with primary immune deficiencies are complex and require a multi-disciplinary approach for optimal outcomes.  

Our services include: 

• Diagnostic and therapeutic services for children with suspected or known primary immune deficiency disorders. 

• Assistance to caregivers, families and other physicians in the evaluation and care of individuals with primary immune deficiency disorders. 

What to expect: 

• We will thoroughly review any pertinent history, including any previous workup performed by another provider.  

• The first visit may include additional bloodwork, imaging studies, lung function testing, and/or genetic testing.  

• After testing is completed, our team will work with patients and their families to determine the best therapeutic options going forward, which may include immunoglobulin replacement therapy, antibiotics, immunomodulators, and hematopoietic bone marrow transplant in rare cases.  

• Expect an informative experience during each visit as our goal is to empower our patients and their caregivers with their medical care.   

OHSU Allergist are active members of the CLEAR Eczema Center, which provides comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care for patients suffering from various forms of eczema.  

Chronic sinus disease is a primary inflammatory condition for which no “cure” is available. It often requires a multi-disciplinary approach for successful management of this condition, including both surgical and medical interventions. Allergists/Immunologists play a critical role in diagnosing and managing comorbid conditions and have expertise in medical therapies including aspirin desensitization and biologic agents. Otolaryngologists are experts in diagnostic nasal endoscopy, assessing severity of disease through interpretation of computed tomography (CT) scans, and ability to perform complex sinus surgeries when indicated. 

At OHSU, the Complex Sinus Multi-Disciplinary Clinic utilizes the expertise of both Allergy/Immunology and Rhinologist (otolaryngologists that obtained additional fellowship training in sinus disease) to provide a patient-centered experience in managing difficult and complex sinus conditions. This includes patients that have undergone multiple previous sinus surgeries or have an underlying condition such as aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA or Churg Strauss), allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFS), or primary immunodeficiency.  

What to expect: 

• Each patient will meet with a board-certified Rhinologist and Allergist/Immunologist during their initial visit. This allows for a more comprehensive plan that can be created with input from the patient and both providers.  
• Additional diagnostic tests may be performed including nasal endoscopy, allergy testing, bloodwork, imaging studies, and/or lung function testing. 
• After testing is completed, our team will work with patients and their families to determine the best therapeutic options going forward, which may include both surgical and medical therapies.  
• Expect an informative experience during each visit as our goal is to empower our patients and their caregivers with their medical care.   

Information on the Oregon Sinus Center at OHSU: https://www.ohsu.edu/ent/oregon-sinus-center 

Patients can develop adverse symptoms to medications such as skin rash, swelling, severe gastrointestinal symptoms, breathing difficulty or anaphylaxis. A board-certified Allergist/Immunologist can help evaluate these symptoms and determine if additional testing would be indicated.  

Research has shown that drug allergies are often overdiagnosed and some may resolve over time. This is particularly true for penicillin and cephalosporin allergies, which are often diagnosed early in life. Studies have shown that carrying a penicillin allergy label (even if one is not truly allergic anymore), is associated with longer hospital stays, increased risk of complications from alternative antibiotics, higher rates of treatment failure, and an increased risk of surgical site infections during surgery. Over 90% of individuals evaluated for penicillin allergy are found to be able to tolerate it.   

While patients with drug allergies can be seen in any of our clinics, the Drug Allergy Specialty Clinic at OHSU concentrates on complex cases. The more common allergic reactions we see (but not limited to) includes: 

• Antibiotics, including penicillins, sulfonamide antibiotics, and cephalosporines 
• Perioperative drugs (surgery-related) 
• Local anesthetics such as lidocaine 
• Aspirin and other nonsteroids antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) 
• Chemotherapy drugs 
• Biologic agents 

What to expect:

• We will thoroughly review any pertinent history, including any previous workup performed by another provider. 
• Testing is not typically performed during the initial visit as special supplies often need to be ordered. A follow up appointment will be quickly scheduled to have any pertinent testing performed, including skin testing and observed challenges in the clinic space.  
• Expect an informative experience during each visit as our goal is to empower our patients and their caregivers with their medical care.   

Find more information about the Burghardt Food Allergy Center here.