Allergy tests are medical assessments performed to determine if your symptoms are triggered by specific allergens. These allergens can range from certain foods, types of pollen, pet dander, dust mites and many others.
You may require an allergy test if they are experiencing symptoms such as hives, redness, itchiness, swelling or difficulty breathing that are often related to an allergic reaction. The aim of these tests is to pinpoint the allergen causing these symptoms, ultimately leading to better management of the allergy.
A skin prick/puncture test checks for immediate allergic reactions to as many as 40 or more different substances such as allergy to pollen, dust, pet dander, and foods at once.
Patch testing is generally done to see whether a particular substance is causing allergic skin irritation (contact dermatitis). During a patch test, your skin may be exposed to 30 or more extracts of substances that can cause contact dermatitis. These can include latex, medications, fragrances, preservatives, hair dyes, metals and resins.
When the results of your skin prick/puncture test are not clear, you may need a test that uses a very thin needle to inject a small amount of allergen extract just into the skin on your arm (intradermal test).
A very small amount of a substance is injected or taken by mouth. Challenges are done mostly with potential food or medication allergies, and for diagnosing asthma.
Blood tests are generally used when skin tests might be unsafe or won’t work, such as if you are taking certain medications, or have a skin condition that may interfere with skin testing.
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