What to expect during an initial allergy evaluation

What to expect during an initial allergy evaluation  written by Jim King, MA

  When you see an allergist for an initial allergy evaluation it can be a 2-3 hour appointment.  Therefore, be sure to bring you’re favorite mobile device and dress comfortably.  Your allergist will take a very detailed history pertaining to your symptoms.  He/she will want to know when your symptoms occur, what type they are, what you feel may be the cause of your allergic symptoms, and how severe your symptoms are. If you have treated your symptoms in the past, it would be helpful to know what you used and how successfully those treatments worked.   During this visit you will likely be tested with a wide range of allergens.  You should stay off of all antihistamine containing medications for 3-5 days prior to testing.   These tests are usually applied using the Percutaneous Method.  This method is very accurate, fast to apply, gives quality results in 15-20 minutes, and is generally regarded as painless.  The process typically uses a plastic device which resembles a toothpick.

   Each of these “toothpicks” is dipped into a separate single allergen.  Using the freshly dipped “toothpick” the medical assistant will lightly scratch or prick the topmost layer of the skin. This will introduce a very tiny amount of the allergen into the skin.  After all of the test have been applied its time to get out your mobile electronic device or book and allow time for the body to respond to the test. 

  As you sit and crush candy or sling shot birds, you may start to notice some irritation and itching at the site of some of the scratches.  You may also notice a raised bump with redness surrounding the area.  This swelling and redness will be measured and used to determine if you are allergic to the allergen and if so, how severely. Depending on the results of the test, a secondary screening may be done using an intradermal method. That’s allergy skin testing in a nut shell….. No, wait I’m allergic to nuts!!

Your Allergist will use the information you provided in the history, coupled with the skin testing results and customize a treatment plan just for you. This custom plan will be one of, or a combination of the 3 main ways to treat allergies; avoidance, medication, and immunotherapy.  These 3 ways of treating allergies will be expanded on in a future blog, so stay tuned! Like they say, the more you know, the less you sneeze!    

The information provided in this blog does not constitute medical advice.  Any questions should be directed to your primary physician.