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.



The authors of e-books, newsletters and other site content of allergyauthority.com are competent, experienced writers or health care specialists within their own field. They have made every effort to ensure all information produced is correct and up to date at time of writing. Please note no documentation on this site has been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and no documentation on this site should be used to diagnose,treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Any information given on allergyauthority.com is to be used for educational and information purposes only. It should never be substituted for the medical advice from your own doctor or other health care professionals. We do not dispense medical advice, prescribe drugs or diagnose any illnesses with our literature. allergyauthority.com is not responsible or liable for any self or third party diagnosis made by visitors based on the content of this website. Neither does allergyauthority.com in any way endorse any commercial products or services linked from other websites to this website. Please, always consult your doctor or health care specialist if you are in any way concerned about your physical wellbeing.