Allergy Test - Here’s A Test To Fail
To diagnose an allergy, the first thing your doctor does is talk with you. He’ll discuss your symptoms, any medications you’re currently taking, and your personal and family history. A physical examination is also necessary.The next step is the tests. There are 3 types of tests. The skin test, patch test or blood test.
The skin test is the most common test used. It’s generally the most accurate and certainly the least expensive. With the skin test, a small amount of an allergen is put on your skin and then the spot is pricked or scratched with a needle. You can also have a little bit of the allergen injected into the outer layer of your skin.
If you have an allergy to the substance that was used, you’ll have swelling, redness and itching in the tested spot within 20 minutes.
The patch test is used to diagnose contact dermatitis. A small amount of allergen is put on your skin and covered with a bandage. Your doctor will check the spot in 48 hours to see if you’ve developed a rash.
The third type of test is the blood test. This may be used if you have a skin condition or if you’re taking some type of medication that might interfere with a skin test.
A blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory. There they add allergens to the sample and measure the amount of antibodies that are produced to attack it. …Read more >>
