An allergy is a hypersensitivity or overreaction of your body’s immune system. Usually, your immune system is tasked with fighting off foreign substances like bacteria and viruses. If you are allergic, your immune system sees harmless substances such as pollen or dust as threats. To counter the threat, the immune system reacts, leading to an allergic reaction. Allergy symptoms range from a stuffy nose to sneezing to anaphylactic shock, which is life-threatening. Allergic reactions are in four types of hypersensitivities. Type 1 causes common allergies, including animal dander, foods, pollens, and dust mites. Other kinds of hypersensitivities trigger various immune system overreactions. They range from minor skin reactions to severe autoimmune disorders. If you frequently experience an allergic reaction, visit a Philadelphia ENT specialist for testing and diagnosis (WebMd.com, 2020).
Allergy Testing
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Children of any age and adults can undergo an allergy test. Allergy testing helps the allergist identify what you are allergic to and how to manage it. An allergist is a specialist trained to help patients control their allergies and asthma. Allergists understand that allergy tests are different. Hence frequently review scientific literature to learn which works better and how test results may be affected by laboratory practices (American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2022).
An allergy test can be done through skin testing or blood testing. Both methods can identify a patient’s sensitivity to common inhalants like venom, latex, certain foods, medicines, or other substances. However, allergists prefer skin testing as it is the most accurate.
Allergy Skin Testing
To avoid allergic reactions, you first need to know what causes the reactions. One way to achieve this is through a skin allergy test. Allergy skin tests use extracts of common allergens such as food, animal dander, dust mites, mold, and pollen. When the allergens get in your skin, they can trigger a rash, where the skin is irritated and may itch. This reaction is what the doctor uses to tell your allergic trigger.
Types of Skin Allergy Tests
Allergy skin tests include patch testing, intradermal testing, and skin prick testing (Mayoclinic.org, 2022).
- Skin patch testing.
During a patch test, the allergist places a patch or bandage containing the suspected allergen on the skin and leaves it there for about 48 hours. A healthcare provider reviews the patched area after at least 72 hours to look for signs of an allergic reaction.
- Intradermal testing.
This is where a small amount of an allergen is introduced to the skin to check for a reaction. But, instead of scratching the skin surface, the allergen is injected into the patient’s epidermis. The intradermal test is used for allergies to medications, penicillin, or insect venom.
- Skin prick testing.
This skin test identifies allergies such as food, spores, mold, and pollen. The test is done on your forearm or back. The allergen is introduced to the skin by lightly scratching it to assess how you react to it. When the test is positive, you may experience itching, redness, or raised round patches known as wheals. This typically happens within 15 minutes of placing the allergen.
Skin tests to determine allergic disorders have been used for over 100 years. Scratch and prick tests are the most common. They are not very invasive and produce results quickly. An intradermal skin test is usually ordered when the results of scratch or prick tests are negative to give the allergist more details on the causes of your symptoms.
Preparation for a Skin Allergy Test
Inform your doctor or allergist about any medication you’re currently taking. This is because some drugs may affect the results. Your doctor will also provide a list of medicines to avoid before the test. If you have to take the medication, the doctor will first do a test to establish if the drug will impact the allergy test results (WebMd.com, 2020).
As allergy medicines, such as antihistamines, halt allergic reactions, avoid taking them a few days before your allergic testing appointment. Your body should be allowed to react to the test allergens independently.
Safety and Risks
A skin allergy test may irritate mildly, but it does not hurt in most cases. Despite being in direct contact with allergens, the effects won’t be severe as they are in minute amounts (Mayoclinic.org, 2022). Allergy skin tests rarely produce whole-body reactions; however, inform your doctor if you experience:
- Problems swallowing
- Mouth, lips, or face swelling
- Widespread rash
- Breathing problems
- Lightheadedness
- Fever
Allergy Diagnosis
Skin tests or blood test results do not solely diagnose allergies. All test results should be interpreted while considering your medical history. When dealing with human allergies, the patient’s medical history is as significant as the outcome of an allergy test. The patient’s medical history is the essential link between the test results and the allergy. The medical history provides valuable information about your overall health, experiences with potential allergens, and symptoms at different times of the year.
If the allergy skin test results are inconsistent or not clear with your medical history, your doctor will rely on their experience and training. They can also use the patient’s medical history and physical examination to make a final diagnosis (American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2022).
What happens if the Allergy Test Result is Positive?
• Your doctor or allergist will develop a plan to control your allergies, which means efficient prevention and treatment of symptoms. You can do this through the following:
• Limiting or avoiding contact with your known allergies. For instance, if you react to dust mites, get rid of clutter in the house as it collects dust.
• Take medication to relieve symptoms. You may be given medicines such as eye drops, nasal sprays, decongestants, or antihistamines.
• Getting allergy shots. Some people require allergy shots, especially if they cannot avoid them. Allergy shots contain a small but increasing amount of your allergen. It can be given as a shot or under the tongue. This type of immunotherapy entails gradually increasing the dosage of your allergic substance or allergen. Eventually, the small increases of your allergen, such as pet dander, mold, pollen, and dust, make your immune system less sensitive to it. This will minimize your allergy symptoms if you encounter the allergen in the future. Also, immunotherapy reduces inflammation experienced with asthma and hay fever.
