FAQ’S
Allergists are the only medical professionals exclusively trained to deal with allergies, asthma, and immunological diseases. When you or your child are seen by an allergist, you can rest assured that you are seeing the medical specialist most experienced and familiar with the issues you may be facing. Allergists undergo extensive training: one must complete medical school, residency (in pediatrics and/or internal medicine) AND an additional fellowship training in Allergy and Immunology. Only after nearly a decade of medical training can physicians sit for the Board exam.
Each and every one of our Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center’s allergists hold this highest standard of qualification; all are Board certified or Board eligible.
Our medical team treats a wide range of conditions including:
LUNG CONDITIONS
Asthma
Reactive Airway Disease
Exercise-induced asthma
Chronic cough
Shortness of breath
Vocal Cord Dysfunction
NASAL/SINUS CONDITIONS
Allergic rhinitis
Non-allergic rhinitis
Sinusitis
Nasal polyps
SKIN CONDITIONS
Eczema/Atopic dermatitis
Contact dermatitis
Urticaria (hives)
Angioedema (swelling)
OTHER
Food allergies
Drug allergies
Insect sting allergies
Anaphylaxis
Immune Deficiency
Immunological disorders
When you meet with your Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center provider, she or he will listen to your history and help determine the next steps and whether allergy testing is needed. Allergy testing can help us observe your body’s response to common allergens. With this information, your physician or healthcare provider may be able to provide you with more clarity about potential causes of your allergies — and, as importantly, what to do about them!
Yes! Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center serve the needs of food allergy patients – of all ages – and will be happy to work with you. We have been extensively involved in food allergy research and the Seattle Food Allergy Consortium.
It’s important to us to hear your concerns and understand what you have been experiencing; we always begin there. Your healthcare provider will have a detailed conversation with you to learn much more about exactly what you have been experiencing. Where clinically indicated, we will recommend and proceed with the appropriate allergy testing to investigate any potential allergies further.
Yes, in many cases you can! Depending to what you are specifically allergic and how serious your symptoms, it’s safe to say you can likely do a lot about your environmental allergies. From basic lifestyle changes to medications (both over-the-counter and prescription) and desensitization treatments (allergy shots and others), there are a number of ways to combat environmental allergies.
Your healthcare provider will be happy to help you create a customized plan to manage your seasonal allergies.
You may be a good candidate for a desensitization treatment (allergy shots) depending upon your symptoms and to what you are allergic. If allergy shots are of interest to you and clinically appropriate, your provider will recommend it.
Allergy shots or immunotherapy are injections given at regular intervals over a long period of time (typically 3-5 years), with the goal of minimizing allergy attacks. Allergy shots are a common treatment for airborne and venom allergies.
The goal of allergy shots is to “desensitize” your body to a very small amount of whatever substance has been triggering your allergies. Over time, you receive gradually increased doses of the same allergen, building up your system’s tolerance to it. With increased tolerance, patients typically respond less strongly to their allergens and thus experience fewer symptoms.
Many people who undergo allergy shots find that they are desensitized to the point where they can reduce or even completely stop taking allergy medications.
No! You can be seen at any Northwest Asthma & Allergy office that is convenient to you. We currently have eight offices throughout Washington. We use electronic medical records (EMR), allowing our offices and professionals to access your files securely and effortlessly. Please choose the office that best suits you, and we will schedule your appointments accordingly.
Yes! We offer convenient, secure bill payment options online.
- Please visit our Portal to pay your bill online
For billing questions, please call our billing department (206) 512-1150 any time Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm
Please visit the Specific Location page for address and detailed hours of operation information, including up-to-date shot schedules for each location.
Please visit the Specific Location page for more information on that sites shot hours, so you can plan at your convenience. Each location page also lists any modifications to existing shot hours.
**If you are dealing with a medical emergency, PLEASE CALL 911 FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.**
If you have a time-sensitive or urgent concern and would like to speak with the on-call provider, you may have her or him paged. Please note there may be a charge for this service, and your account may be billed directly.
If you have a non-urgent medical question that arises after-hours and can wait at least one business day for a response, you may leave a message by phone or send your question via the Patient Portal.
If you are requesting a prescription refill outside of office hours, please call your pharmacy.
Yes! We have partnered with Epion & AthenaOne Health to bring you a convenient and highly secured payment process. All financial information is fully encrypted.
Using a credit card on file allows you to:
- Pay balances and co-pays conveniently
- Make payments automatically using your credit card of choice
- Avoid writing checks to pay bills by mail
- Receive notifications and receipts sent via Portal
The Patient Portal is a convenient, secure online system that we offer to provide Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center patients with assistance with your non-urgent medical needs. You can use the Portal to:
- Review healthcare information
- Request forms
- Request refills
- Send non-urgent questions to our staff and more
Due to patient privacy laws, please note that the Patient Portal is not available for use by minors (children between the ages of 13-17 years old).
To sign up for the Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center Patient Portal, please send us an email to info@nwasthma.com, and we will assist you in establishing your account.
To cancel an appointment, please call the office 24 hours prior to your appointment, stating the patient name and date of birth in your message to assure that we can cancel the correct appointment. Thank you!
If you miss your appointment or cancel with inadequate notice, you may be charged a $75 cancellation fee. If you are being seen for a Vocal Cord Dysfunction appointment, we request 48 hours’ notice of cancellation, so that we can provide the appointment to someone on the waitlist. The late cancel/missed appointment fee for VCD appointments is $150.
We understand that circumstances may arise beyond your control and appreciate you communicating with our office as soon as possible. However, should you miss or late cancel twice within a year, we reserve the right to review and consider possible dismissal from the practice.
For new patients who are under 18 years old, for the first appointment, a parent or legal guardian (not a nanny, etc.) must be accompany the child. However, once a patient has been established, the minor does not need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian if we have a signed consent form on file allowing this. Please review and fill out the Consent to Treat a Minor form and provide it to us if you would like to authorize this.
We comply with the highest standards of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). We take your privacy and the protection of your health records very seriously. Our practice uses electronic medical records (EMRs) to guard your data securely. Please refer to our current privacy policies for more information, and you can access our entire HIPAA policy on this PDF.