Male Baldness Info

I am going to see my dermatologist about what I think is alopecia areata — a disease that makes your hair follicles shut down in random spots on your head. My hair has fallen out in several places, most of which are about the size of a fingerprint, but in others spots it’s more noticeable.
Apparently this disease goes hand in hand with eczema, allergies and asthma, all of which I have lived with and treated successfully so I can live a normal life. But this hair loss is a new thing.
I just wanted to find out if there are other people with this problem. It’s not male-pattern baldness. It’s not that my hairline is receding, it’s that it is falling out in spots and might not grow back for a while if at all.
What treatments might my doctor suggest for this? What did you do about this illness, if you’ve had it? Did it ever grow back, or were you stuck with only some of your hair?
Thanks in advance for your advice. This is an embarrassing problem and I just want to know I’m not alone.