Mario Rodenas, MD, is a board-certified allergist and immunologist specialist with expertise in the diagnosis and management of a variety of conditions, including frequent or recurrent infections, acute and chronic hives, seasonal and year-round allergies, allergies to drugs including penicillin and other antibiotics, and food allergies.
“It’s rewarding for me to be able to help patients who have spent months, if not years, trying to find out why they get frequent or recurring infections, and then provide them with the care that they need to have a more normal life and potentially find the reason why they get sick often,” Dr. Rodenas says.
For allergy patients, a condition that can be particularly frustrating is chronic hives. “This condition creates a lot of anxiety for patients since this is not an allergic condition, but one that is mediated by the allergic cells,” he says. “It is confusing and anxiety provoking. When we help them control their hives, they are some of the most appreciative patients that we encounter as we improve their quality of life.”
Dr. Rodenas was inspired to become an immunologist and allergist partly by family members who suffered from allergies and asthma, as well as by experiences during his medical training. He was especially influenced by his time at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a rotating resident. “At the NIH, you see rare forms of diseases and to me that was eye-opening,” he says. “I realized that this was really something I could do—I could help these patients.” He uses the latest treatments for allergic and immunodeficiency disorders, including biologics and immunoglobulin replacement, and says these and other treatments have been getting better with time. “It’s an evolving field that keeps us learning,” he says.
Many of Dr. Rodenas’ patients who have spent years seeking effective care are hesitant about undergoing further tests, he explains. “I tell them upfront that this could take us some time. Everyone is treated differently because each patient is different, but we will dedicate whatever amount of time is required to do the best workup and find the best treatment for them,” he says.
