{"id":17858,"date":"2018-10-23T10:32:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T15:32:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=17858"},"modified":"2023-03-03T15:04:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T20:04:28","slug":"allergy-testing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/allergy-testing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Know About Allergy Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/healthcommunication\/ToolsTemplates\/EntertainmentEd\/Tips\/Allergies.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 50 million people<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the U.S. are allergic to something, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making allergies the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the country. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An allergy happens when the immune system overreacts to a typically harmless substance, or allergen. As common as they are, allergies can be tricky to figure out, let alone manage, on your own. If you keep waking up to unexplained rashes, or suspect that the common cold isn&#8217;t to blame for your permanently runny nose, or wonder if it\u2019s normal for your mouth to itch that much after you eat fruit salad, then allergy testing might be the right move. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allergists use an arsenal of different tests to make sense of patients\u2019 symptoms and guide treatment decisions. We talked to experts about what different tests entail and what patients should know about getting tested. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Should you get tested for allergies?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allergy testing isn\u2019t considered preventive care; universal allergy screenings aren&#8217;t recommended for patients without symptoms. \u201cUnnecessary allergy testing can lead to \u2018false positive\u2019 results, and may result in lifestyle limitations which do nothing to improve your health,\u201d says Dr. Sakina Bajowala, medical director of Kaneland Allergy and Asthma Center in North Aurora, Illinois. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But testing does make sense if you have allergy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/magazine\/issues\/summer11\/articles\/summer11pg20.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">symptoms<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as sneezing, wheezing, a runny or stuffy nose, itchy or tearing eyes, hives, dermatitis (itchy rash) and brain fog. Allergy tests can identify sensitivity to different types of allergens, including food, medication, cosmetics, chemicals and environmental irritants like pollen, dust, mold, grass, animals and venom. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allergy testing is performed on both children and adults, but traditionally not on young babies. That said, as of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa1414850\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">few years<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ago, infants four months and older are being tested for peanut allergies if they\u2019ve exhibited skin rashes or have a known egg allergy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pregnant women are another population for whom allergy testing isn\u2019t recommended, due to the small risk of having a severe allergic reaction during the testing process. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But if a pregnant woman has a concerning allergic reaction, consulting an allergist is still advised.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What happens before testing?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before a doctor conducts allergy testing, they\u2019ll go over your medical history and allergy symptoms, as well as ask about your lifestyle, e.g., whether you live with pets or work in a dusty office. They will also perform a physical exam and may look at your lungs or sinuses via imaging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To prepare for an allergy test, you\u2019ll likely need to stop taking any allergy medications, such as antihistamines, for the week before your test. Other medications, including certain antidepressants and herbal supplements, may need to be discontinued as well, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aafa.org\/allergy-diagnosis\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you\u2019re not sure about whether or not a specific medication will interfere with testing, call your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/allergists?utm_source=pgbanners&amp;utm_medium=papergown\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-18930\" src=\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/paper-gown_banner-3_final-1-1229x262.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"726\" height=\"154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/paper-gown_banner-3_final-1.jpg 2178w, https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/paper-gown_banner-3_final-1-720x153.jpg 720w, https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/paper-gown_banner-3_final-1-360x77.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Different types of allergy tests<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common test, and typically the first approach used to understand a patient\u2019s symptoms, is a <\/span><b>skin prick test<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cWe\u2019re able to test for things that are \u2018living, including animals, dust mites, pollens and mold spores, as well as foods,&#8221; says Dr. Mark Holbreich, an allergist in Indianapolis. \u201cSkin testing does not measure reactions to environmental irritants like cigarette smoke or chemicals.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The test entails inserting small amounts of allergens under the skin\u2019s surface. \u201cSkin prick testing has been used for over 100 years to test for the prevalence of allergies,\u201d Holbreich says. \u201cIn the last 20 years or so, the testing material has been more purified, so it\u2019s more accurate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The number of allergens included in a skin prick test depends on a patient\u2019s age and symptoms, says Holbreich. Typically, it\u2019s three to five allergens for babies 4 to 6 months old, up to 18 allergens for preschoolers, and up to 50 for teens and adults. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The test only takes about 15 minutes to administer; allergic reactions, caused by a protein in the blood called IgE, are indicated by wheals, or red itchy bumps. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an <\/span><b>intradermal test<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an allergen is injected under the skin with a shot. This test is used when a skin prick test is negative but there\u2019s still a reason to suspect an allergy. This method can test for reactions to environmental allergens and drugs, including penicillin and other antibiotics, but usually not food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An<\/span> <b>ingestion challenge<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tests for food and drug allergies. This test requires a patient to consume increasing amounts of a potential allergen by mouth. Then they\u2019re observed for up to three hours for signs of an allergic reaction. More often than not, ingestion challenges are used \u201cwith the intention of proving that a food or drug allergy is not present, rather than to confirm an allergy,\u201d says Bajowala, who wrote the 2018 book <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Food Allergy Fix: An Integrative and Evidence-Based Approach to Food Allergen Desensitization.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood tests called <\/span><b>serum IgE tests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can provide more detail about exactly how allergic a patient is to a particular item. \u201cThis may offer insight into potential reaction severity,\u201d says Bajowala, \u201cor provide guidance about the likelihood of having tolerance to certain foods, for example, peanuts, baked milk or baked eggs.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Patch tests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are used for allergic contact dermatitis or delayed food allergies, where symptoms don\u2019t show up until at least a day after exposure to an allergen. Common allergens in patch testing include fragrance, ingredients in cosmetics, metals, and preservatives and chemicals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patches of allergens are applied to a patient\u2019s back in a grid-like pattern. The patches stay in place for 48 hours, during which time full-body showers and sweat-inducing activities need to be avoided. After two days, the patches are removed. Then, one day later (three days after initial application), the allergist will check for reactivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What allergy tests cost<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cost of allergy testing is typically covered by health insurance, and is based on the type of test and number of allergens involved. A skin test, for example, would be much less expensive than a blood test for the same allergen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re concerned about surprise bills, Bajowala says, \u201cit\u2019s best to ask your insurance carrier if a referral is required to see an allergist, to confirm that the allergy test you need is a covered service and determine what your cost-sharing responsibilities are under the terms of your plan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>If you test positive, what comes next?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You and your allergist can talk about treatment options, including taking over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication. Allergists may also try immunotherapy, which can be administered as allergy shots, drops or tablets. The goal with this approach, Bajowala says, is to \u201cgradually retrain your immune system to tolerate allergen exposure.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some patients won\u2019t need drugs at all; they\u2019ll just need to steer clear of whatever&#8217;s causing the allergy.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoidance is the primary method of managing many food allergies and contact allergies, and your doctor may have resources to make it easier to avoid triggers. For example, patients with fragrance allergies should receive an annually updated list of safe, fragrance-free products. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter what treatment approach your doctor recommends, make sure it\u2019s something that works for you and your lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h1 class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"s1\">Ready to book a doctor&#8217;s appointment? Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\">Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A guide to different types of allergy tests and what they entail. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":17916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[8,22,64,147],"class_list":["post-17858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-allergies","tag-diagnosis","tag-shots","tag-testing","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Everything You Need to Know About Allergy Testing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We talked to experts about what allergy testing entails and what patients should know about getting tested.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/allergy-testing-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Everything You Need to Know About Allergy Testing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We talked to experts about what allergy testing entails and what patients should know about getting tested.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/allergy-testing-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Paper Gown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-10-23T15:32:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-03T20:04:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" 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