Allergy Testing your Doctor Recommends

Posted on July 5, 2008
Filed Under Wellness |

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

by Dorothy Medlum

If you think that you may be having an allergy, but you are uncertain of the specific allergen causing this allergic reaction, your doctor may suggests a variety of allergy testing to diagnose your condition. The different types of allergy tests identify a variety of allergens.

Different types of allergy testing can be used to identify various allergens. Some tests work better than others, depending on the allergy suspected. Therefore; be familiar with the various allergy tests available prior to making an appointment with your doctor. The tests available may fall into several categories including: Scratch tests, elimination tests, and blood tests.

Scratch Tests

The most common type of allergy testing that is done is the scratch tests. This test involves putting a small amount of the suspected allergen onto the surface of the skin, then scratch or prick the area to allow some of the substance to enter the surface.

Then, the site is observed to watch for an allergic reaction such as swelling, redness, or itching. A result is often seen in as little as twenty minutes with this particular method of allergy testing. The advantage to this is that many other types of allergens can be tested at the same time. Therefore, this makes this method most useful when the allergen is not known, is an airborne allergen, or an allergy from foods and insect bites.

Elimination Diets

The elimination diet is an allergy test done when the allergy suspected is a food allergy. In this testing, a variety of foods that are potential allergens are eliminated from the diet for a period of several weeks. Each food is then gradually added back to determine which selection will cause the allergic reactions.

This method of testing can be potentially dangerous for the patient who has severe allergies. If a severe allergy is suspected, a third method of allergy testing is preferred to ensure the safety of the patient.

Blood Tests

The last type of allergy testing is the blood test, commonly called the RAST test. This is performed in the laboratory and uses blood that has been drawn for the patient. The blood is examined for presence of immunoglobulin antibodies. These will indicate if the body is producing an allergic reaction. Elevated levels of IGE’s can tell your doctor if you are allergic to certain types of allergens. This method is not always accurate or precise as are the other methods. Should your doctor decide to have allergy testing done, he will examine your family medical history and tell you when to stop your medications.

About the Author:

This article helps you to understand allergies, one thing is for sure, this topic is rather large and can’t be explained in just one article. There is also Allergy Resource that we could probably write another 10 articles on. We always keep the newest articles at bestallergyinfo.com so feel free to navigate to and read all the high quality articles present there. If you liked the info then give us your suggestions while your visiting.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.