Allergies are something you can’t control, and they can be a real pain for some people. People who suffer from allergies have a hypersensitive immune system that overreacts when encountering specific triggers.
But even when facing difficult times, it’s important to support your health. Fortunately, there’s something that can help you determine what triggers your allergies: Allergy testing, which is used to identify allergens like mold, dust, bee stings, and peanuts that might make you react.
The results of an allergy test can help doctors diagnose the substances that cause allergic reactions in your body and take steps to manage them.
Let’s look at some common types of allergy tests and what you should do before taking one.
What is an Allergy Test?
Allergy testing is a method of determining substances that might trigger an allergic reaction. For some people, injecting, inhaling, or coming in contact with an element can trigger their body and cause various symptoms. An allergic reaction’s severity varies significantly from person to person.
For instance, in skin allergy tests, the person’s skin is exposed to elements that are suspected of causing allergies and is then observed for indications of allergic reactions.
An allergy test can identify whether a substance that you regularly eat, touch, or breathe is causing symptoms or not, with help from previous medical records.
The information from an allergy test can also help your doctor develop a treatment plan for your allergy. Its also used to diagnose which allergic condition a person has; this could include:
- Allergic asthma
- Food allergies
- Hay fever
- Penicillin allergy
Various Types of Allergy Tests
Skin Prick Test
A skin prick test is the most common test healthcare providers use for diagnosing allergies. Your provider will present about 10 to 50 different potential triggers, including food allergens, through a thin needle to prick your back or forearm skin. They do this to see how your body reacts to them.
Intradermal Skin Test
If a skin prick test gets inconclusive results, your doctor or allergist will suggest an intradermal skin test. As the name suggests, in this test, your healthcare provider will inject allergens just below the outer layer of your skin. It’s namely used to identify drug or venom allergies.
Specific IgE Blood Test
A blood test can help figure out allergies by measuring IgE antibodies in your blood in response to certain triggers.
The way this works is that your provider takes a sample of your blood and sends it for testing in a lab. The lab adds allergens with the blood sample and accounts for the level of antibodies in it.
Challenge Test
If your allergic reactions result from certain foods or medications, your doctor will recommend a test of tolerance, which we call a challenge test. This test occurs under a provider’s direct supervision. The allergist watches as you consume little amounts of the suspected allergen. If the allergic reaction becomes severe, they give an epinephrine injection to stop it.
Preparing for Your Allergy Test
Talk to the Allergist
When making advances for your first visit, ask your allergist to list all the medications and foods to avoid prior to the test. Most likely, you’ll have to stay away from medicine that contains an antihistamine for at least a week before the test.
Create a Detailed Diary
Providing as much detail and information to your allergist or doctor as possible will help make the test more accurate and better understand the situation. To ensure that your healthcare provider gets a good picture of your story, it’s recommended to write a diary or record your meal diet and times when you get allergic reactions.
Some examples of information to write in your diary include:
- What you ate before the symptoms occurred.
- What substances you came in contact with before the allergic reaction.
- How long the symptoms remained.
- How the response was treated.
Wear Something Casual
Though there’s not really a dress code required for an allergy test, wearing comfortable and loose clothing is suggested. That way, it’s easier to inject prick or needles on your arms or back.
Avoid the Sunlight
Ideally, you should avoid too much exposure to the sun before taking an allergy test. If you get sunburn due to overexposure, it won’t only be painful and cause discomfort; it could potentially ruin the test results.
Ask Plenty of Questions
In addition to the diary, it’s important to think of questions to ask your healthcare provider that will help you understand the allergy better and give answers to some related questions you might not be sure of. Questions you should ask include:
- What do the allergy results mean?
- What are the treatment options?
- How can I identify potential triggers and allergens?
- What do I need to monitor after this visit?
