What is Alergy Testing?

If you have an allergy, your body is reacting to something you inhaled, touched or ate. The substances that trigger an allergic reaction are called allergens. Reactions to these allergens range from annoying to life-threatening.

Many people with untreated allergy symptoms aren't aware of how much better they can feel once their symptoms are properly diagnosed and managed by an allergist/immunologist, often referred to as an allergist.

An allergist is a pediatrician or internist with at least two additional years of specialized training and is the best physician to diagnose and treat allergies and asthma.

What are the Benefits of Allergy Testing?

Allergy tests, combined with the knowledge of your allergy specialist to interpret them, can give precise information about what you are and are not allergic to.

For instance, if you wheeze when you are at home and don't know why, you don't have to get rid of your cat if your allergy testing shows you are allergic to dust mites but not cats. With this information, you and your allergist can develop a treatment plan to manage or even get rid of your symptoms.

Should I be Tested?

Testing done by an allergist is generally safe and effective for adults and children of all ages. Symptoms which usually prompt the allergist to perform skin testing include:

• Respiratory: itchy eyes, nose or throat; nasal congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, chest congestion, cough or wheezing
• Skin: hives, itchiness or atopic dermatitis
• Abdominal: cramping and diarrhea or constipation consistently after eating certain foods
• Severe reactions to stinging insect stings (other than swelling at the site of the sting)
• Anaphylaxis (pronounced an-a-fi-LAK-sis): a serious allergic reaction that affects many parts of the body at the same time

Most symptoms are caused by one or more of these allergens:

• Dust mites (tiny bugs you can't see) that live in your home
• Proteins from furry pets, which are found in their dander, saliva and urine (it's actually not their hair)
• Molds in your home or in the air outside
• Tree, grass and weed pollen
• Cockroach body parts and droppings

More serious allergic reactions can be caused by:

• Venom from the stings of bees, wasps, yellow jackets, fire ants and other stinging insects
• Certain foods
• Natural rubber latex
• Certain medications and drugs

Types of Allergy Tests

Different allergens bother different people, so your allergist will determine which test is the best for you.

The allergen extracts or vaccines used in allergy tests performed by allergists meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, making them safe for use.

Skin Tests

This type of testing is the most common and is relatively painless. A very small amount of certain allergens is put into your skin by making a small indentation or "prick" on the surface of your skin.

If you have allergies, just a little swelling will occur where the allergen(s) which you are allergic to was introduced. If you are allergic to ragweed pollen but not to cats, only the ragweed allergen will cause a little swelling or itching. The spot where the cat allergen was applied will remain normal.

You don't have to wait long to find out what is triggering your allergies. Reactions occur within about 15 minutes. And you generally won't have any other symptoms besides the small hives where the tests were done, which go away within 30 minutes. If your prick skin tests are negative but your physician still suspects you might have allergies, more sensitive "intradermal" tests will be used in which a small amount of allergen is injected within the skin.

Skin tests have to be done in an allergist's office to minimize the risk of rare side effects.

Challenge Tests

In a challenge test, a very small amount of an allergen is inhaled or taken by mouth. Challenges are done mostly with potential food or medication allergies, and it is very important that they be supervised by an allergist.

Blood Tests

This test involves drawing blood, so results are not available as rapidly as with skin tests. 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.

When to Proceed with Caution

There are methods of allergy testing that the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) believes are not useful or effective. These include: massive allergy screening tests done in supermarkets or drug stores, applied kinesiology (allergy testing through muscle relaxation), cytotoxicity testing, skin titration (Rinkel method), provocative and neutralization (subcutaneous) testing or sublingual provocation.

Healthy Tips

• Most people with nagging allergy symptoms don't realize how much better they can feel once their symptoms are properly diagnosed and treated.
• Allergy testing analyzed by an allergist can pinpoint what you are allergic to.
• Testing done by an allergist is generally safe and practically painless.
• Some new forms of testing, such as allergy screenings performed at supermarkets or drug stores, sound good but can actually be harmful.