Allergy skin testing is performed to evaluate many allergic conditions including: allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, food allergy, stinging insect allergy, some drug allergies, and some allergic skin disorders. In order to identify what inhaled allergens or food substances you are allergic to, we generally perform a prick skin test. This involves introducing a very small amount of the substance just below the surface skin using a sterile testing device. We use a multi-headed device which allows us to test many different substances at once. A positive test will result in an itchy "welt" about the size of a mosquito bite. The pain associated with this type of testing is minimal (often rated 1-2 on a scale of 1 to 10). The testing procedure takes 20-30 minutes. Thus, allergy skin testing allows us to obtain rapid results and to direct a treatment plan at the time of your visit.

Allergy testing can be done by a blood test as well. There are certain circumstances where we may choose to perform blood testing instead of typical allergy skin testing. Blood testing is generally more expensive, requires venipuncture (needle stick into a vein) and the testing results are not available for a week after a blood sample is obtained.

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