Having allergies means your immune system could potentially overreact to something you touched or inhaled while enjoying an outdoor activity, or even in the comfort of your home. Even eating a peanut butter sandwich, having a carpet in the bedroom, or taking aspirin could trigger an allergic reaction causing you to experience symptoms such as itchiness, swelling, difficulty breathing, vomiting, hives, and other severe symptoms.
Allergy testing is performed on the skin or through blood testing, and when combined with physical examination and medical history review, can reveal information about substances you are allergic to, as well as substances you are not.
During a skin test, a suspected allergen is scratched into the skin’s surface to observe a possible reaction, which would develop within minutes of exposure. For people who are not able to have skin tests, blood testing is recommended. The blood test will evaluate the blood level of immunoglobulin E (a type of antibody) that the body may make as a reaction to allergens.
What are the Benefits of Allergy Testing?
- Allergy testing is a precise method for finding out which allergens are causing your allergic reactions.
- Once you know which substances you are allergic to, your physician will be able to develop a treatment plan to alleviate and eliminate some of your allergy symptoms.
- There are different types of allergy tests, your allergist will determine which test is appropriate for you depending on whether you are taking a medicine that may prevent or reduce a reaction to a substance, have a skin condition that makes it difficult to see the results of skin testing, have had a previous allergic reaction with severe symptoms, or have had positive skin tests to many foods.
- By knowing which substances causes your body to overreact, you can avoid your allergy triggers.
- Learning whether a person is allergic to medications or insect venom.
Control your allergies…don’t let them control you. The physicians at Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay work directly with you to develop a treatment plan to progressively eliminate your allergy symptoms. Call our allergy specialists in the Tampa Bay area at (813) 971-9743 now to schedule an appointment, or use our online appointment request form.
