What's Involved In Allergy Testing?

By Anna Sawyer


Have you ever been curious to know how an allergy test is conducted? It is surely nothing to worry over. Getting testing for allergies is easy. The test can show the level of allergy a person has toward different agents such as foods, pollen, mold, or even medications.

Allergies can be tested with a skin test, or with a RAST, or radioallergosorbent test, which is a blood test.

Tests are usually performed at the doctor's office or at a lab. If someone claims to be an "allergist", you should stay away from him.

Skin testing is the most popular type of allergy testing. This test has been doing the rounds for over 100 years. When you start your test, your skin will be either pricked and you will be exposed to many allergens.

A minuscule amount of the allergen is placed on the skin. No matter what you've heard at home, you really need to board the wagon. The needle barely scratches the surface of the skin, so it's uncommon that you have any bleeding.

After 10-15 minutes, a positive reaction should appear. A "positive" skin test can be detected when you see an itchy red or pink bump form (it looks like a bug bite). It means that you have an allergic antibody to the object that was tested. And you will experience allergy symptoms any time you are exposed to the item.

In some cases, this is not an allergy. If you see a bump, you will just need to repeat the test. The results of one or two subsequent tests will determine whether you're truly allergic or just reacting to the needle.

If the skin test results are found to be negative, even though your history of allergic reactions tells you that you should be allergic, you will receive another test. This type of testing is know by the name of intradermal skin testing.

The injections rarely hurt. You won't be able to replicate the effect next Halloween.

No matter how you get tested, a skin test allows you to find out about allergies quickly. It will give you an idea of what to look for when you are having an allergic reaction, or if someone displays an allergic reaction. The test teaches you how to be careful and still enjoy a healthy meal.

Being aware and knowing how to recognize symptoms can be very useful. Some people prefer to remain into the unknown rather than finding out they have tested positive. allergy symptoms once they're informed will make up for that.




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