Florence Ida Hsu, MD

F. Ida Hsu, MD, is an allergist and immunologist who treats a wide range of conditions and illnesses, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, drug hypersensitivity and hives with unknown cause. “I often approach cases as a detective would, looking for clues to an answer—sometimes obvious, and sometimes elusive,” she says. “Having suffered from hives and various allergies when I was younger, I can relate to my patients and provide practical advice.”

An assistant professor of clinical medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Hsu studied medicine at Columbia University's College of Physicians & Surgeons, trained in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, and completed her Allergy and Immunology fellowship at the Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, where she served on the clinical faculty for several years before coming to Yale.

Over the years, she has been involved in clinical trials focused on finding new treatments for hereditary angioedema, a rare genetic disorder that causes swelling in the face, upper air passageways and other parts of the body. She also provides specialized care for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, in collaboration with Yale and other community otolaryngologists and pulmonary physicians.

When meeting a new patient, Dr. Hsu says, “First step first: let’s do some testing, figure out what we’re dealing with, and then we can come up with a plan to address your symptoms and get you feeling better.” Sometimes testing is not required, and she is able to make recommendations for medications or non-pharmacologic treatments to help her patients with their allergy or immunology issues.