How to Diagnose an Allergen

Allergies are more than just an annoyance. For allergy sufferers, simple chores such as dusting or mowing the lawn can set off a series of uncomfortable side affects. When you diagnose the allergen it opens up the possibilities for targeted treatment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Determine what you are allergic to. If you develop symptoms in the Spring, you may be allergic to pollen or grass. If you develop symptoms after eating certain foods, you probably a food allergy. Narrowing down the possibilities will help you give a more accurate description to your allergist.
2. Consult with an allergist. The allergist will take a detailed history of your symptoms so he can come up with the best treatment.
3. Visit a lab in your doctor's office for a radioallergosorbent test (RAST) blood test. Doctors may prescribe blood work if they suspect an anaphylactic allergy because of the small risk of an anaphylactic reaction during skin testing. Blood work isn't as reliable as skin testing, so if your results come back negative for something that is suspected your doctor may want to do skin testing as well.
4. Go in for skin testing. Skin testing is the fastest way to find out what you are allergic to. The test can be done for food and inhaled allergens. It's fairly accurate and painless and you will get the results right away.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are going in for allergy tests, don't take any allergy medications for 48 hours prior to testing. The medication can suppress your immune system and your body won't react to the allergen in the test.
• If your test comes back positive for foods that you eat with no problems, it could be a false positive. Certain proteins in foods, such as soy and peanut, are similar and can come up positive on skin tests even though you are only allergic to peanuts.