Dear Doctor: Payel Gupta
The empathetic allergist & immunologist providing relief abroad and at home
As an allergist and immunologist, Dr. Payel Gupta has no shortage of empathy for her patients. She too suffered from allergies and asthma growing up, which gave her firsthand insight into these conditions, along with a passion for identifying their root causes and counseling patients to provide relief. Read on for her experience traveling the globe to provide patient care and what she’s been up to since moving to NYC four years ago.
I decided to go into medicine for reasons that are common to this field: to help people (here in the US and all over the world), and because it allows me to be a financially independent woman.
I did my basic training in internal medicine and pediatrics so that I could see both adults and children, but I decided to further specialize in the field of allergy & immunology because although these issues are not always life threatening, they can contribute to a large quality of life issue.
I grew up with many allergies, asthma and eczema and I have an understanding of where my patients are coming from. I think this empathy allows me to better relate to my patients.
From Nepal to NYC
I took a two year sabbatical after my fellowship in allergy & immunology and volunteered in Liberia, India and Nepal. While there, I helped work on hospital improvement initiatives and participated in direct patient care. One big takeaway from this experience was that it made me grateful for the access to care we have in the United States, which I feel is such a privilege.
In many places outside the US, women fill the role of caretaker in the medical setting. For example, hospitals are often so busy that a family member has to stay with the patient and do everything from changing bandages to helping them get to the bathroom and going to the pharmacy to pick up medications.
We’re so lucky in this country to have dedicated staff and new technologies that help us with patient care.
I moved back in 2013, and was working with a smaller allergy practice. I started at ENT Allergy 9 months ago, and I love building my practice here.
Helping Patients Get Relief from Allergies
People come in to see me after using many over the counter options and finding that nothing is working. Especially this year, the temperatures fluctuated between hot and cold so often, and it really did a number on the pollen. We had a rough allergy year as the seasons changed earlier and it has been a longer allergy season than most.
I see both children and adults, which each require a different approach. There’s a fundamental difference between a child’s cough and an adult’s cough. For an adult, factors like whether someone smokes, whether they have exposure to dust or were a 9/11 first responder — all of these life events play a role. For children, factors like whether they were a premie or intubated at birth could contribute to their cough.
There are so many different ways to think about patients and their conditions, and I enjoy getting to the bottom of the root cause.
Because there are a lot of great over the counter options out there, a lot of my job is counseling patients how to use the medications and how long it will take to see results. For example, with steroid nasal sprays, people usually don’t notice a difference until they’ve been using them for at least two weeks (it’s been clinically proven that it takes this long to see a difference).
I make sure my patients understand these timelines to help set expectations. I usually follow up at around a month, but of course my patients have the option to call me at any point.
Fill in the Blanks
I love what I do because…I get to interact with interesting people and help them feel better everyday.
I wish my patients would….find their own way to take time for themselves. You need to find a way to give yourself 5 to 10 minutes a day to just breathe and put down your cell phone or to-do list.
Everyone could use a little more….sleep and water!
I’m not a morning person but…I realized I have to get up early if I want to work out, fit in an 8am-7pm workday, and have a social life. When I take the time 2 or 3 times a week to work out, it starts my day in a completely different way. Sure, you give up an extra half hour of sleep, but you get your energy back by building muscle and endurance.
Favorites
App: Kindle for iPhone. I use it to read books on my phone on the train to make my commute more fun and interesting
Summer activity: Camping upstate or going to the beach
NYC neighborhood: Lower East Side. It’s where I moved when I first came to NYC. It has everything, and I love the mix of old and new. There are so many great restaurants and boutiques, but they exist right next to original mom and pop shops.
You can find Dr. Gupta at ENT and Allergy Associates and on social media
Know a great female doctor in NYC? We’d love to meet her, introduce us here!
