Allergy testing is an important part of your allergy treatment plan. There are some circumstances in which an allergy test might not work as advised, such as if you would have too severe of a reaction to even the small amount used in a skin test. But otherwise, when you have undergone allergen testing, it will be much easier to develop a treatment plan in which you can most effectively tackle the symptoms of your allergies.

Tests Performed to Detect Allergies

The scratch test is often one of the first tests that you will undergo when you visit an allergy testing service. However, in a few cases, the scratch test is not conclusive and it will be necessary to perform a different test such as an intradermal test. They might also perform a patch test that involves attaching a special patch to your body using adhesives.

In cases where there is a risk that you will have a severe immunological reaction to the other tests, there are fortunately other options available. You may have your blood drawn and your blood will then be tested in a laboratory, which is a much safer location. Then, the technician may be able to detect the presence of antibodies that exist to fight specific allergens. Also, if you believe that you are suffering from a specific allergic reaction due to the food you are consuming, you may want to eliminate that food from your diet to see if the symptoms persist.

Effective Allergy Treatments

The treatment for the symptoms of your allergies will usually include avoidance, medication, and allergy shots. Avoidance is mostly used with triggers that are easy to avoid, such as certain foods. Avoiding allergens can be very challenging because certain allergens might be found in a broad variety of foods. You might not even know that a particular food contains allergens, and you might ingest what you are allergic to accidentally.

Certain medications can help treat the symptoms associated with your allergies. For example, if you are allergic to pollen, you may have a much harder time avoiding it, but there are several treatments that can help you overcome the symptoms.

Allergy shots might be a good idea if the medications are not able to control the symptoms caused by your allergies. You might also be concerned about taking allergy medications because they might interact with other medications. Regardless of which allergy treatment options you choose, the first step is to turn to an allergy testing service. Contact an allergen testing clinic to learn more.