What Is the Best Type of Allergy Test?

What Is the Best Type of Allergy Test?

Allergies affect people all year long, but they reach their peak during spring and winter. Allergies are usually manifested by a runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. If you are suffering from allergies, you can confirm with allergy testing in San Antonio, TX, from Dr. Christine Gilliam, your physician at Everyone's ENT and Sinus Center.

What are the symptoms of allergies?

Patients with an allergy will suffer from the following symptoms:

  • Rash or itchy skin
  • Irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat
  • Runny nose and watery eyes
  • Coughing and wheezing
  • Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting if the allergy is because of certain foods

What is allergy testing?

An allergy test can help the physician and the patient determine what allergen caused their allergy. There are three types of allergy tests; the skin test, the challenge test, and the blood test. The skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of the allergen into the skin. The physician will wait for 20 minutes to see if there are any signs of an allergic reaction or are not.

The second allergy test is the challenge test. It is performed to find out if the patient has any food allergies. In this testing method, the physician will ask the patient to ingest a small amount of the allergen, and then they will check for any symptoms.

The last test is the blood test, and it's usually done when there is a skin condition that prevents the physician from performing a skin test because of the high risk of severe allergic reaction or inaccurate results. A blood sample is taken from the patient and tested in a laboratory for the presence of antibodies.

Allergy testing in San Antonio, TX, will help you control your allergic symptoms by detecting the causing allergens so you can avoid exposure to them.

Contact us

If you have any questions about allergy testing in San Antonio, TX, contact Dr. Gilliam of Everyone's ENT and Sinus Center. Call us at (210) 647-3838 and book your appointment today!