Here’s A Test To Fail

Here’s A Test To Fail

To diagnose an allergy, the first thing your doctor

does is talk with you. He’ll discuss your symptoms,

any medications you’re currently taking, and your

personal and family history. A physical examination is

also necessary.

The next step is the tests. There are 3 types of

tests. The skin test, patch test or blood test.

The skin test is the most common test used. It’s

generally the most accurate and certainly the least

expensive. With the skin test, a small amount of an

allergen is put on your skin and then the spot is

pricked or scratched with a needle. You can also have

a little bit of the allergen injected into the outer

layer of your skin.

If you have an allergy to the substance that was used,

you’ll have swelling, redness and itching in the

tested spot within 20 minutes.

The patch test is used to diagnose contact dermatitis.

A small amount of allergen is put on your skin and

covered with a bandage. Your doctor will check the

spot in 48 hours to see if you’ve developed a rash.

The third type of test is the blood test. This may be

used if you have a skin condition or if you’re taking

some type of medication that might interfere with a

skin test.

A blood sample is taken and sent to a laboratory.

There they add allergens to the sample and measure the

amount of antibodies that are produced to attack it.