You might have allergies, if you suffer from:
- red, itching, watery eyes
- itchy, scratchy, or sore throat or
Your healthcare provider may refer you to an allergist to help determine what is causing your allergies. The allergist may perform allergen skin tests to identify the cause.
A skin testing procedure may go something like this:
- The forearms or back are cleaned with a piece of gauze moistened with clear water, then wiped dry.
- A series of dots are made with a felt tip pen.
- A small drop of allergen extract is placed next to each dot. (If there are 15 dots, then 15 different allergen extracts are being tested.)
- After the drops are placed, they are pressed onto the skin with the blunt end of a small needle.
There is little or no pain with this procedure. The pressing is done so that the allergen binds with cells located just beneath the skin's surface. After a period of time, if you are allergic to a particular extract, you will develop what is called a "wheal and flare." This is a raised, reddened area where the allergen was placed. The healthcare provider will measure the wheal, to determine how strongly you may be allergic to the particular extract.
Allergen extracts test for a variety of things, such as tree pollens, weeds, molds, cat or dog dander, dust mites, and metals, like copper or nickel. The allergist might test for certain foods, however, with skin testing, food allergies can sometimes be very difficult to determine. The choice of allergen extracts depends on the patient's allergy history.
If the test is positive to some of the tested extracts, the patient will gain valuable information regarding what to avoid to reduce the allergy symptoms being experienced. The allergist might also recommend additional treatments, like immunization therapy, antihistamines, or steroid inhalants or pills that can help reduce the discomfort of allergies.
If you think you might have hay fever allergies, or asthma that might be affected by allergies, contact your healthcare provider. Keep a record of your allergy symptoms, including when they occur, what you were doing at the time of the onset of symptoms, what you were eating, the weather, and other related information that will be useful to your healthcare provider.
For more information about hay fever, asthma, or allergen skin testing, contact your local division of the American Lung Association, or call (800) LUNG-USA.
Copyright (c) 1999. HBO & Company (602) 230-7575. All Rights Reserved.
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