3 Tests that Can Help Diagnose Your Allergies
If you suffer from allergies, you need answers. What’s causing your uncomfortable symptoms and how can they be resolved?
At Broward Specialty Group, our team of specialists can identify the allergens that are triggering negative reactions in your body and help you get relief. In this blog, we explain three allergy tests that can get to the root of your issue.
1. Skin-prick testing
Skin-prick testing involves consulting with you about your medical history, the medications you take, and the allergens that could be causing your body to react. Then we prick your skin with very small amounts of the suspected allergens.
Then we observe your skin to see if any of the allergens affect the pricked areas, such as with redness or swelling. Visible results can normally be seen within 15 minutes. If you take a medication that could skew the results, we may restrict your use of it for a time before your test.
2. Blood testing
To perform a blood test, we draw some blood. Then we send it to our lab and look for antibodies. When your body comes in contact with an allergen, your body produces specific antibodies in an effort to fight the allergen. Hence, the presence of these antibodies can show which allergens are affecting the body.
Blood tests offer an advantage over skin-prick tests in that you don’t have to stop using any medications. Furthermore, blood tests can work better for infants and young children who may not have enough surface area for multiple skin tests.
3. Intradermal skin testing
For intradermal testing, we insert a tiny needle into your skin. After we inject the suspected allergens, we wait about 10 minutes to observe any reactions — such as redness or swelling — in the various areas we injected the allergens.
This test may be needed if the results of a skin-prick test are inconclusive.
Treating allergies
After we identify the root causes of your allergies, we develop a highly personalized treatment plan for you. We can prevent and control most allergic reactions with medications. If you have severe reactions, such as anaphylaxis, your plan may include using injectable epinephrine.
Do know that allergy testing is safe, and our team monitors you through the whole process to prevent any potential complications.
If you have allergies and want to know what’s causing them and the treatment options that are available, we can help. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with Broward Specialty Group today.