What Happens During an Allergy Testing Procedure?
Just because you’re experiencing allergy symptoms doesn’t mean that you will automatically be prescribed an anti-allergy medication. An allergy testing procedure will need to be conducted to identify what’s causing your allergies. This article lists down the different kinds of tests that will be conducted to check what’s causing your allergies.
Some of the tests that may be conducted to check for allergies include:
- Scratch test. Otherwise known as the puncture test or a prick test, the allergy testing procedure for this test is the doctor putting drops on your skin (usually on the forearm or on the back) that contain allergens. The skin is then pricked to see if the skin will have a negative reaction. This is done not just as a food allergy test, but also to check for other allergies, such as to pollen, dander, or insect venom.
- Patch test. This is another skin allergy test, with the allergens introduced to the skin via a patch. Doctors will then check to see which patch causes a reaction, such as redness or itching, in order to identify what the trigger is.
- Elimination test. This allergy testing procedure is pretty simple and is usually conducted to check for food allergies. One item at a time will be removed from your diet in a span of a few weeks and then slowly re-introduced to see which of the food you’re eating is causing your allergies.
- Blood test. Blood tests may also be conducted to check for the presence of antibodies that respond to certain allergies in the bloodstream.The allergy testing procedure for this test is pretty much the same as with other blood tests.
- Provocation. Also known as allergy provocation, provocative neutralization testing This test is conducted by exposing the person to certain allergens in a controlled environment. This procedure is usually done if the allergen is suspected to be airborne, such as pollen.
The type of allergy testing procedure you will be subjected to will depend on the kind of allergy that you have and its severity. If you suspect that you have an allergy, do talk with your doctor to check what your options are.