Definition of allergist

The term "allergist" first appeared in the medical community in the late 1800s, soon after the development of the word "allergy" itself. The term "allergy" was coined in 1906 by the Austrian doctor and immunologist Charles Richet to describe an adverse reaction to a normally harmless substance. In 1912, the American physician Moses Pupkin introduced the term "allergology" to describe the medical specialty focused on the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. Later, in 1921, the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) was established to certify and regulate physicians specializing in allergy and immunology. The first known use of the term "allergist" appeared in print in the New York Times in 1940. The article, titled "Allergists Warn Patients of Risk from New Antibiotics," described how a group of allergists warned of potential side effects from the then-new class of antibiotics. By this point, an allergist was defined as a physician with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic and immune system disorders. Today, allergists are a vital part of the medical community, both providing direct care to allergy patients and advancing medical research in the field of allergy and immunology. Their work has led to significant breakthroughs in understanding and treating a wide range of allergic diseases, from asthma to food allergies to allergic rhinitis.