Not sure what is causing your symptoms? Sometimes it is clear that you are having an allergic reaction, but you aren’t sure what is causing it. The only way to know for sure what you are allergic to is to have allergy testing. There are different types of testing depending on what type of allergic reaction you are having.
Patch Testing
If you are having an allergic reaction on your skin, such as a bad rash, you may be allergic to something that your skin has come into contact with. This could include anything from cleansers to fragrances to cosmetics.
Patch testing is often used for skin reactions. A small amount of suspected allergens will be taped to the back for a few days. When you return to the clinic, the doctor will look to see what allergens, if any, caused a reaction.
Skin Prick and Intradermal Testing
If you are concerned about nasal, eye, or chest symptoms that may be due to environmental allergies,skin prick and intradermal testing is helpful. Common environmental allergies are pollens, dust, and animal dander. For skin prick testing, a small amount of allergen is placed on the skin and then pricked or scratched. If a small red, itchy area appears, it is an indicator of allergy. You will likely have several pricks with different allergens. Intradermal tests, where a small amount of the allergen is injected underneath the skin, may be done if the skin prick test is negative for that allergen.
Skin testing can also be used to help diagnose food allergies, medication allergies, and insect sting allergies.
If skin testing is not possible, blood allergy testing, using a lab draw, can also be done.
Challenges
Challenges can be done if the diagnosis is not clear or to definitively rule out an allergy. During a challenge, the patient is exposed to the potential allergen gradually under supervision. This can be done for foods, medications, and sometimes, environmental allergies. Challenges are done in a controlled setting, such as the office of an allergist, with close monitoring. .
If you have been experiencing allergy symptoms and don’t know what’s causing them, contact us today for an appointment for a comprehensive examination and testing.
