Visit Your Allergy Doctor For Allergy Testing
Your allergist is likely to recommend allergy testing if you exhibit:
- Itchy skin, a rash or eczema
- Itchy eyes, nose, and throat
- Nasal congestion, runny nose, and watery eyes
- Coughing, wheezing or chest congestion
- Cramping, diarrhea or vomiting after eating certain foods
- A severe response to an insect sting or bite
There are different types of allergy testing, designed to test for different allergens depending on what you might be allergic to. Common allergy tests used by the Watertown and Utica allergy doctor include:
- Skin tests--a small amount of allergen is injected into your skin. You may see a small rash or swell within 20 minutes, indicating an allergy to the substance, or you may see no response at all, indicating no allergy.
- Challenge tests--you inhale or ingest a small amount of allergen; this is used mostly to diagnose allergies to foods or medications.
- Blood tests--your blood will be drawn and sent to a laboratory. This test takes a little longer than a skin test and is used if you have a skin condition that might make skin testing inaccurate.
Once your Watertown and Utica doctor has identified what triggers your allergies, they can try a number of treatments to reduce your symptoms. Treatments include allergy shots that are given weekly or sublingual drop therapy which you administer yourself in your home for a specified period of time.
To find out more about allergy testing and allergy treatments
call our allergy doctor at the Watertown, NY office at (315) 782-6200
or our Utica, NY office at (315) 624-7911 today!
call our allergy doctor at the Watertown, NY office at (315) 782-6200
or our Utica, NY office at (315) 624-7911 today!
