Skin Allergy Testing

A Skin Allergy test is used to help your physician at Lomack Primary Care determine whether you have allergies and what type of allergy you may have by looking for reactions to allergens that are placed on your skin.

By determining what’s triggering your allergy symptoms, the test makes it easier for you and your doctor to determine the right treatment. It is designed to help identify various potential allergens, including contact, airborne, and food-related allergens.

There are three different types of skin tests, including scratch or skin prick tests, intradermal, and patch tests.

Skin Prick Test

A skin prick test is normally used to detect allergies that cause an immediate reaction on contact with the skin, such as hay fever or food allergies. Drops of a solution containing an allergen such as animal hair or pollen, are applied to different marked areas of the skin. The skin is then pricked at each site to allow the allergen to enter the skin. For food allergies, the lancet is dipped in the food before pricking the skin.

An allergic reaction is confirmed when the skin reddens and/or if a small bump, otherwise known as a wheal, arises at the marked site.

Patch Test

The patch test is used to screen substances if allergic symptoms are expected to be observed between one and three days after exposure to the allergen.

Patches containing different allergens are applied to a person’s back and left in place for 48 hours. The patches are then removed, and the skin examined for signs of a hypersensitive reaction. A second assessment is performed after 96 hours, and sometimes additionally after 7 to 10 days in some people.

Triggers are often single substances that can be found in a variety of materials such as medications (e.g. lidocaine), cosmetics (preservatives or fragrances), jewelry (nickel or cobalt) or gloves (latex). If a contact allergy occurs, the skin swells, turns red, itches and small blisters may form.

Intradermal Test

An intradermal test is similar to the skin prick test, except that the allergen solution is injected directly into the skin. The primary advantage of an intradermal injection is that it can detect weaker allergic reactions.

The disadvantages, however, are the unpleasantness of the injection and the stronger allergic reactions that it can trigger. Therefore, intradermal tests are usually only performed when the response to a skin prick test is insufficient.

What to Expect During an Allergy Skin Test

An allergy skin test is usually done in your doctor’s office and administered by a nurse, although a doctor will interpret the test results. Usually, it takes about 20 to 40 minutes to complete the tests.

The most common type of allergy skin test, the skin prick test or scratch test, involves using a tiny tool that barely penetrates the surface of your skin. The test isn’t painful and you won’t feel more than a tiny prick. The allergen extract is then placed on the area that’s been scratched, and every text site is marked to identify each allergen that’s being tested.

Around 15 minutes after administering the skin pricks, a nurse will look at your skin for any signs of an allergic reaction. If an itchy, raised, red bump appears, you could be allergic to that allergen. The nurse will record the size of the bump.

Do you think you may have allergies?

If so, it’s important to be treated. Lomack Primary Care offers the testing needed to discover what allergens may be behind your symptoms.
Call us today: (301) 593 1700

Skin Allergy Testing