Many people experience allergic reactions, such as sneezing or hives, as inflammatory responses to various allergens. Although some reactions may be little more than annoyances, others may be quite severe. Some allergy sufferers may even experience respiratory distress when they encounter an allergen.
Many allergy symptoms can be avoided or effectively treated once the associated allergens are identified. However, some people are unsure of what they are allergic to.
To help physicians diagnose your allergies properly, they perform allergy testing. Here are a few of the tests that they may use.
Intradermal Testing
During an intradermal skin test, the doctor actually injects the allergen into the skin. The injection is not deep, only penetrating the outermost layer of the skin. Additionally, the physician only injects a minute amount of the substance.
In a manner similar to the results of skin-prick testing, the doctor looks for changes in the skin to determine an allergic reaction. Although an intradermal test is rarely used for suspected food allergies, it is commonly performed when a drug allergy is suspected.
Specific IgE Blood Testing
Specific IgE tests measure your antibody response to a specific allergen. The doctor draws a sample of your blood and sends it to a lab for testing. The laboratory technician adds the allergen to the sampled blood. They measure the number of antibodies that the blood creates in response to the allergen. Although this testing is effective, it is not the best way to screen for allergens because it tends to incite a high number of false positives.
Skin Prick Testing
A skin prick test is an effective way to perform allergen screening. The medical professional applies a tiny drop of the allergen to your skin. Once the allergen is in contact with your skin, the nurse or doctor uses a needle to scratch the surface of the skin that lies beneath the drop.
Patients that are sensitive to the allergen will develop skin reactions, such as swelling, redness, hives, or itchiness. The allergic responses usually appear within a few minutes.
Keep in mind that a positive response only indicates a potential allergen. However, a negative test result typically means that the patient is not allergic to the applied substance.
If you believe that you are experiencing allergy symptoms and don't know the source of your discomfort, schedule a consultation with an allergy doctor in your local area. They can perform allergen testing to help identify the triggers of your allergy symptoms and subsequently offer treatments to help you remain reaction-free.
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