ALLERGY TESTING
ALLERGY TESTING SERVICES IN HOUSTON & THE WOODLANDS
PURPOSE OF ALLERGY TESTING
An allergy test identifies airborne and some food agents you might be allergic to. It also guides us in further treatment of allergies. Skin testing is generally less likely to be positive for food allergies than for inhalant allergies. Typically, prick testing is performed on the back only after it is clear that the individual did not take antihistamines, nasal steroids, oral steroids, or beta-blockers for one week prior to the skin testing.
Texas Sinus, Allergy, Snoring, and Sleep Institute specializes in helping people with seasonal and chronic allergies through immunotherapy and other treatment options.
If you are tired of sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and a sore throat due to allergies, give us a call or book an appointment with Dr. Khetarpal today.
TESTING FOR ALLERGIES
Generally speaking, there are two types of tests. However, an individual's personal history is important in guiding allergy testing. Skin testing, either as a prick test or percutaneous or intradermal testing, is performed more commonly and is more sensitive than blood or RAST testing.
SKIN TESTING FOR CHILDREN
Generally, we have been successful in skin tests, especially prick testing, in children above the age of 3. If your child is very queasy or squeamish, then a RAST test may be offered. A RAST test, or radioallergosorbent test, is a way of testing a person's blood to see if they have any allergies.
PURPOSE OF BLOOD RAST TESTING
While the RAST test is quite reliable, it tends to underestimate the incidence of milder allergies. While the RAST test is quite reliable, it tends to underestimate the incidence of milder allergies.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING AN ALLERGY TEST
We test for 74 different allergens, including weeds, grasses, trees, dust mites, molds, cats, dogs, and cockroaches. We do a combination of 2 different types of tests:
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A prick-puncture technique (applied to the back)
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Intradermal dilutional testing (applied to the upper arms)
The testing takes approximately 1-1.5 hours. A lot of this time is utilized in patient education. We will show our patients a couple of videos and go over in detail what you can do to reduce exposure to environmental allergens.
PREPARING FOR AN ALLERGY TEST
You will be given a preparation for allergy testing sheet and a history form, which need to be completed and returned on the day of testing. The allergy testing preparation sheet will let you know what, if any, medications need to be stopped prior to testing. Once testing is completed, you may resume taking your antihistamines. The goal of allergy injections is to decrease the number of daily medications you are currently taking. Some patients notice improvement in symptoms within 3 months of starting allergy treatment.
INSURANCE AND ALLERGY TESTING
Someone in our office will verify benefits with your insurance company. We will provide an estimate of the out-of-pocket costs for allergy testing, allergy serum, and allergy injections. This is not a guarantee of payment. We encourage all patients to verify benefits also. Once these benefits are obtained, someone from the allergy department will call to answer any questions and schedule an appointment for allergy testing.