About Allergy Testing
This practice area addresses many common ailments including allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, skin allergies and the dynamic interaction between allergy and asthma.
Dr. Tushar Patel has a special interest in this discipline. Under his guidance ASHRAI Associates is able to offer full allergy testing and desensitization therapy. Desensitization is now available for the 1st time as sublingual Immunotherapy which has the benefits of no reaction, no infection and self medication. The most common allergens are house dust mite, animal dander, pollen, moulds and foodstuffs.
When to get tested?When you have symptoms such as rashes, dermatitis, rhinitis (nasal congestion), red itchy watery eyes, asthma, or abdominal pain.
Depending on the allergy, your healthcare provider may recommend one or more of these steps:
- Minimize exposure to allergens
- Take daily allergy medications
- Get allergy shots
- Have a medical alert card
- Carry an epinephrine injection (EpiPen)
Frequently Asked Questions
The allergy test is not painful. A niddle-like device gently pricks or abrades your skin’s surface. After the test is performed, it takes about 15 minutes to develop. A positive test will appear as a raised, red bump on the skin, similar to a mosquito bite.
The test takes approximately 30 minutes to administer and 15 minutes to register the results – so you don’t have to wait long to learn the possible cause of your allergies.
Adults and children over the age of two years can be tested for allergies. This is especially helpful for patients who suffer with allergic asthma, allergic pneumonitis, conjunctivitis, undiagnosed cough, atopic dermatitis (skin irritation or eczema), rhinitis (runny nose), sinusitis, allergic urticaria (hives), and angioedema (similar to hives but beneath the skin).
You will be tested for the most frequent, geographically specific, seasonal and perennial allergens in our area. We will test for products from dust mites, proteins from pet hair and dander, trees, grass and weed pollens, molds and cockroach allergens. We do not test or treat for food or stinging insect related allergies.
Allergen immunotherapy, commonly known as allergy shots, is a form of treatment aimed at decreasing your sensitivity to substances called allergens. Immunotherapy involves introducing increasing amounts of an allergen you over an extended period of time.
The course of immunotherapy varies by individual. The initial full course of immunotherapy is one to three years, but symptom relief can and often occurs after one year of therapy. Completing three to five years of therapy has shown long-term benefits.
In order to achieve the most accurate test results, you should discontinue any antihistamines for at least three days or longer, depending on the medication, prior to allergy testing. You may safely resume the use of antihistamines after your test, and you may continue them once you begin immunotherapy.
One in five people suffer from symptomatic allergies. These symptoms can vary greatly from minor discomfort to severe disability. The cost of allergies can be significant when factoring in lost productivity and days off from work or school. The goal of immunotherapy is to decrease or eliminate your allergies.