Allergy question

tndad

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Aug 18, 2007
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Son got a remedial R252.10 Allergy Questionnaire in response to listing seasonal allergies and a sulfa drug allergy on the medical history.
The seasonal allergy started four years ago (he experiences some eye redness and some nasal congestion lasting at most a couple of weeks in the spring or early summer) and is handled with an over the counter med as needed he doesn't see the physician for treatment for this on a regular basis; it is just discussed in general when he has his physicals. The sulfa allergy came about when he was an infant; no actual treatment was given we have just made sure he's not taken sulfa drug again.

While the request from DoDMERB doesn't specifically state that he must submit medical records I got a copy of the visit (in 2003) where the physician noted the seasonal allergy. He coded it as chronic allergic conjunctivitis and noted that it could be treated with an over the counter antihistamine medication as needed. but when talking to us the physician refered to it only as a mild seasonal allergy never mentioning conjunctivitis. I have seen that chronic allergic conjunctivitis is a cause for DQ and am wondering how my son should handle the questionnaire. Had I not requested the medical record we would never have known about the allergic conjunctivitis coding so there was never intent to deceive or misrepresent on the medical history. The physician wrote a short letter stating that he is "allergic to sulfa drugs which can be easily avoided and that he has seasonal allergies that are well controlled with intermittent use of Loratiadine".

When my son fills out the Allergy Questionnaire can he simply state that he has in the past suffered from a seasonal allergy that could be treated with an over the counter med? Should he send in the record that said he was diagnosed with allergic conjuctivitis or not send it since it was not specifically requested? Should he include the letter from the physician which states what I included in quotes in the previous paragraph.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
First, the sulfa allergy will not be an issue. Most allergies to medications are not an issue, but you do what them annotated on the physical examination since that becomes the basis for the permanant medical record and you definately want that noted in there.

For the question on the seasonal allergies. I am not going to tell you what to do here. This is something that you have to decide what is right.

I will tell you that even if he has a diagnosis of chronic allergic conjunctivitis, but is only taking OTC medications that there should not be an issue, no guarantees, but in my experience this is something that could get cleared.

If you want a definitive answer as to whether your son has "chronic allergic conjunctivitis" I would have him see his physician for a current evaluation, or ensure that the physician clarifies what was written in the medical records.
 
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