subject: Allergist Examination: Which Tests Are Needed? [print this page] If you have allergies, you know just how troublesome this medical condition can be. Some individuals have problems with one or two allergens whereas others are allergic to a wide array of items. If you suspect that you may have allergies but have yet to be diagnosed as such, a trip to the allergist may be on your schedule of things to do. When you go to the allergist, you may have one or more tests performed. The following will highlight the various tests an allergist florida may give you and highlight which allergy tests are possibly needed and why.
Types of Allergy Tests
Allergy tests are given to an individual who is suspected to have allergies. The allergy examination given by the allergy doctors florida will show if any allergens are a cause of trouble for an individual. An allergist florida typically uses one of two different allergy tests, or both in some cases, to narrow down the allergy culprits.
The first test used is a skin test. A skin test entails using a needle or other sharp instrument to scratch the surface of the skin and then put a small drop of a suspected allergen on the area. This is usually a pain-free allergist examination and is a good test for determining allergies to specific allergens. This is done with one or many different allergens depending on the patient and what the doctor feels might be the allergic issue. If a bump or redness appears, the individual is usually allergic to that particular allergen.
The second allergist examination performed is a radioallergosorbent test, or RAST test. The RAST test consists of measuring allergic antibodies in the blood of the patient. The blood is drawn and tested to see if these antibodies exist. Although this can be used for seeking out different types of allergens, this is often a good test for food allergies.
Which Test is Better?
Although allergy doctors florida often use both tests to test patients for allergies, the allergist examination most often used is the skin test. The skin test often has more accurate results and is less expensive to complete. Also, skin test results come back much more quickly than blood test results do. Therefore, many allergists choose to use skin testing to determine allergies in patients.
If you suspect you have allergies, contact your allergist florida to see whether testing is recommended and which test is best for you.
