When an allergist sees a patient for the first time, he or she will ask the patient about the signs, situations, or circumstances that have them troubled. This includes medications taken that may have triggered or relieved the person’s symptoms. The consultation with an allergy doctor in Louisville KY is also based on personal and family history, including drug intake, eating habits, lifestyle, family or work environment, the presence or absence of pets, and so on. The specialist considers the patient’s environment, including housing, dust, work environment, etc.
Skin tests
Skin tests are the main tests that allow an allergist to reveal the types of allergens affecting the person, which is the basis of the entire approach to care. Skin tests will identify allergies or the triggers prompting the allergies. There are different types of skin tests depending on the types of allergies.
The principle is the same for all types of tests. It involves putting allergens in contact with the skin and waiting for the results. Some skin tests are called “standard” because they are effective for the most common allergies such as pollen allergies, allergies to mold/mites/animal hair, etc. Others will be more specific when the allergy doctor in Louisville KY suspects a specific allergen.
Prick test
The prick test is the most frequently used type of skin test, especially in the case of respiratory allergies like pollen allergies, animal hair allergies, mold allergies, and food allergies. It is a painless and well-tolerated test, which can also be practiced in children. It involves depositing a drop of several allergen extracts on the forearm.
Then, the doctor will gently lift the skin to bring the allergen to the superficial layer. The reaction will appear and can be interpreted after 20 minutes, depending on the size of the swelling.
The patch-test
The patch-test is mainly practiced in case of cutaneous contact allergies. It consists of depositing a drop of each allergen on the skin which will then be covered with a bandage. This is the case of tests for personal products.
On the other hand, specific standard patches already contain extracts of components of the most commonly suspected products such as shampoo, shower gel, perfumes, cleaning products, etc. The reaction can be generally interpreted on the 3rd day, then on the 5th day. Visit us for more info.
