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Methods of Allergy Testing your Doctor Might Recommend

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.

Since many tests work better than others depending on your specific allergy, it is recommended that you make sure you are familiar with the various kinds of allergy tests prior to making an appointment with your doctor. The basic tests fall into three areas: Scratch tests, elimination tests, and blood tests.

Scratch Tests

Scratch tests are the most common type of allergy test that are done. This test consists of placing a small amount of the suspected allergen onto the surface of the skin, then scratching or pricking the area to allow penetration of the substance.

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

A RAST, or radioallergosorbent test, is the final type of allergy testing that is commonly performed. This is achieved by using blood drawn from the patient. It is then examined for the presence of immunoglobulin (Ige) antibodies. This indicates whether the immune system is producing an allergic reaction to the body. These Ige's tell your doctor if you are allergic to certain allergens, although this testing does not tend to be as accurate and precise as other methods used.

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Thanks for dropping by and learning about allergies. Knowledge and info on this subject is often difficult to come across, so hopefully you got enough info out of this article. Of course if you would like to read more information about Dairy Allergies then surf on over to our website, bestallergyinfo.com.

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