
What is an Allergy Test?
Allergy tests are widely available and can be performed by your primary care physician, an allergist or a local testing lab. Tests are typically a skin test that measures your body's reaction when contacted by specific allergens. A test often measures several allergens at the same time.
The tests are often called prick tests or puncture tests, and although they do involve pricking the skin, they are generally thought of as minimally invasive and not terribly painful. These tests will use a small amount of diluted allergen to test your skins reaction to contact with it. A prick test may be followed up with an intradermal test which involves using a needle to inject an allergen just below the surface of the skin.
For both tests, the skin will be observed several minutes after contact with the allergen to assess if a reaction has taken place, and how sensitive your skin is to the allergen. This will determine exactly which allergen is responsible for you allergies.
Tests are available for a large variety of plan species. Click here for a full list.
Related Articles
Search Allergy Articles
Back-to-School Tips to Helping Your Kids Breathe Easier
Your Allergy Meds Come With Hazards: Be Aware
Rare Red Meat Allergy Linked To More Tick Species
Check Your Pantry, Lay's Classic Potato Chips Recalled Due to Milk Allergy Risk
Seasonal Allergies Likely To Grow Worse Under Climate Change
Wildfire Smoke Flooded ERs With Asthma Cases
Babies Who Got Only Breast Milk in Hospital Have Lower Asthma Rates
1 in 3 Children Now Suffer From Chronic Illness
Wildfires in Western U.S., Canada Create Hazardous Air Conditions
Patient Hospitalized in Louisiana With First U.S. Case of Severe Bird Flu
U.S. Government to Pay Moderna $176 Million to Develop mRNA Flu Vaccine
FDA Proposes Ban on a 'Useless' Decongestant, Phenylephrine
First U.S. Death From Bird Flu Reported in Louisiana
Severe Flu Season Raises Concerns About Brain Complications in Kids