Introduction to the Department

The Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in the Department of internal Medicine studies and treats allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic cough (its main causes are allergic diseases), urticaria (acute and chronic), angioedema, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, drug allergy, bee venom allergy, anaphylaxis, and eosinophil-related diseases such as Churg-Strauss syndrome, idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome, and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

Owing to urbanization and industrialization, the incidence and prevalence of allergic diseases have incredibly increased. Thankfully, allergic diseases are no longer hard to treat owing to the remarkable progress of modern medical science. The Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, which runs Asthma and Allergy Clinic at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, provides the best medical care to patients with asthma and allergic diseases.

The Asthma and Allergy Clinic treats not only the patients’ symptoms but also the underlying causes of the allergic diseases that may not be easy to diagnose with the conventional methods. Specialized tests for allergy, including skin tests (prick, intradermal, patch), bronchial provocation tests, allergic rhinitis tests, pulmonary function tests, induced sputum analysis, FeNO test, allergen (drugs, foods, and occupational allergens) provocation tests, and exercise provocation tests are performed to evaluate the causes and status of the allergy. Sophisticated treatments such as personalized pharmacotherapy, allergen-specific immunotherapy, and desensitization enable the control of the patients’ allergy and the induction of tolerance to the causative allergens, which results in better treatment outcomes.

The Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital manages Gyeonggi-do Allergy Asthma Education Information Center( www.e-allergy.org )sponsored by Gyeonggi-do Province and Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). This Education Information Center provides information, consultations, and various educational materials on allergic diseases using Websites, social network services, and telephone and offline consultation service. The center closely collaborates with 46 health centers and many nursery and higher-level schools across Gyeonggi-do Province. Regular lectures for patient education on asthma and allergic diseases are also provided more than twice a month for a better understanding and awareness of asthma and allergic diseases.