Diagnosis

Obtaining an Allergy Diagnosis
For those who feel they may suffer from allergies, as there is a pattern developing such as sneezing when they come in contact with one type of allergen or having a habitual runny nose during certain seasons throughout the year, obtaining a concrete allergy diagnosis is essential.  There are a few ways in which a diagnosis of allergies can be reached and the doctor will determine which allergy diagnosis method may be the best one to use.

The Initial Doctor's Visit Prior to an Allergy Diagnosis
Before you have access to any type of allergy diagnosis, you have to make an appointment with your doctor for an initial consultation.  During this office visit prior to an allergy diagnosis, your doctor will most likely take down information on your medical history, family history of allergies and perform a general examination.  The physical examination will cover various areas of the body but focus mainly on those regions of the body which allergies would affect such as the ears, nose, eyes, throat, chest and skin.

From that point, the doctor will have a better idea as to whether your sneezing and sniffling is due to allergies or some other medical condition.  If allergies are believed to be the culprit but prior to rendering a definitive allergy diagnosis, your family doctor will schedule some tests which he/she will perform themselves or they will refer you to an allergist who will help to make a determination with regard to an allergy diagnosis.  After testing has been performed, an allergy diagnosis may be the end result.

Tests Used to Procure an Allergy Diagnosis
There are three main categories of tests which doctors may use prior to providing one with a diagnosis of allergies.  The allergy diagnosis tests include the following:  skin tests, patch tests and blood tests.  A skin test is an allergy diagnosis test which comes in two different forms, the prick/scratch test and the intra-dermal test.  The first test is on the exterior of the skin and the individual has various allergens placed on their skin and the doctor will then use a needle to prick or scratch the area under the allergen drop. With the intra-dermal skin test, the allergen is actually injected into the skin in a small amount.
The results which the doctor is looking for will only take about 20 minutes to come about, if one is allergic to the specific allergen.  Certain reactions such as redness, swelling or itching will mean that the patient is allergic to that particular substance.  These skin tests are used most often out of all of the tests in order to make an allergy diagnosis although other allergy diagnosis tests may be used for one reason or another.
The second type of allergy diagnosis test is the patch test.  The procedure for obtaining an allergy diagnosis via this type of test involves placing a small bit of allergen on the patient's skin, bandaging it and then removing it two days later to see if any results have come about.  This is used with regard to contact dermatitis allergies.  If there is a rash under the bandage once it is removed then the doctor will declare an allergy diagnosis with regard to that specific allergen.
Lastly, a blood test can be used by a doctor in the diagnosis of allergies.  There are a few different blood tests which are used in order to determine if an allergy diagnosis is necessary.  Some of the more common allergy diagnosis blood tests include radioallergosorbent tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays tests, radioimmunosorbent tests, multiple radioallergosorbent tests and fluorescent allergosorbent tests.  Blood tests are used in the allergy diagnosis process when skin tests are not able to be completed for one reason or another by doctors trying to determine a diagnosis of allergies.  With all of the aforementioned allergy diagnosis blood testing procedures, the doctor performing the allergy diagnosis test will have the blood samples tested at a lab where the lab tech will add various allergens to the blood sample and then determine the amount of antibodies produced by the blood which combats the allergen substances.  At this point, an allergy diagnosis may result if the individual has a reaction to the various allergens.