Skin Testing: Environmental Allergies and Food Allergies  Allergy skin testing is the most convenient, cost effective and accurate way to identify the things that are triggering your nose, eye or respiratory allergy symptoms.  Among allergy experts, it is the preferred method for diagnosing environmental allergies and food allergies.  Skin testing is less expensive and identifies more individuals with allergies than blood testing.  During the initial skin test, a tiny drop of an allergen is pricked on the surface of your skin.  We use a device that quickly and painlessly applies a panel of up to 40 allergens within seconds.  If you are allergic to one of the allergens, you will experience mild redness and swelling at the place where your skin was touched.  This is referred to as skin prick tests or scratch tests.

Patch Skin Testing  Patch skin testing is another form of allergy skin testing that may be helpful in diagnosing certain allergic skin rashes due to chemicals, metals, or certain food allergies.  Up to 60 different substances that are commonly found in various household products are tested at one time.  Patches with small amounts of each substance are placed on the back using a watertight bandage for 48 hours.  The allergist and immunologist will interpret the results after 48 hours and at 72 hours to determine whether or not an allergy is likely causing your symptoms.

Lung Function Testing Many people with allergies can experience symptoms of shortness-of-breath, coughing, wheezing, and breathlessness.  We use a sophisticated computer to assess how your lungs and airways are functioning.   This will enable us to evaluate your breathing and use the information to help make a diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan if needed.  The lung function testing is referred to as spirometry and can help in the diagnosis of a variety of respiratory disorders such as:       -Asthma       -Bronchitis       -Chronic cough       -Emphysema       -Other respiratory disorders

Oral Food Challenge There are certain times when the patient’s history and results of the allergy testing to a particular food do not provide a clear-cut answer as to whether or not a food is causing an allergy.  After careful consideration of the risks and benefits, an oral food challenge may then be used in selected situations to help clarify the issue.  The challenge begins with ingestion of minute quantities of the food and gradually increased every 20 minutes until a predetermined quantity of the food has been consumed without any evidence of an allergic reaction. Oral food challenges may also be used to determine whether a known food allergy has been outgrown after a prolonged period of avoidance.   

Venom (Insect) Testing Insect stings, such as bees, wasps, or yellow jackets, can range from very mild local swelling at the injection site to severe life-threatening anaphylactic reactions. Skin testing is used to detect venom sensitivity and is typically performed with honey bee, yellow jacket, yellow hornet, white faced hornet, and wasp venom extracts.  As in all forms of allergy testing, skin test results must be interpreted in conjunction with a carefully taken clinical history.  If you have experienced a possible anaphylactic reaction following an insect sting, please consult a physician immediately regarding the need to carry an Epi-pen ©  in the event of a future insect sting.  Immunotherapy (allergy shots) remains the only effective treatment option for individual’s who have experienced anaphylaxis following an insect sting and may decrease the incidence of future life-threatening reactions by more than 90%. 

Immunotherapy (often referred to as “allergy shots”) is the only type of allergy treatment that can actually help turn off a person’s immune response to their allergies, including itchy eyes, cough, post-nasal drip, headaches, sinus problems and wheezing.  It is a highly effective treatment option for many allergy sufferers.  Allergy shots decrease a person’s sensitivity to their allergies by starting off with a small concentration of the allergic vaccine and gradually increasing the dose.  This is FDA approved and can prevent asthma development.  We follow the latest guidelines and help our patients reach their monthly treatments in a few months (no weekly shots for years!) 

Benefits of immunotherapy (allergy shots): 

• Decreases the need for medications
• Has been shown to save money overtime
• Prevents children from developing new allergies
• Improves asthma symptoms in those with allergic asthma
• Can decrease the risk of developing asthma by up to 50%
• The only “curative” allergy treatment option
• Provides long-lasting relief of  allergic symptoms
  

-We offer one of the most rapid treatment schedules in the area so that you can experience the maximum relief as soon as possible.  Immunotherapy is highly effective for both children and adults.  

-Immunotherapy for bee stings is also highly effective and should be considered in all patients who have had an allergy to bees or other venom-producing insects (wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, etc).  Immunotherapy has been shown to decrease the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions by at least 95%.  Anyone who has had a possible venom allergy should have an Epi-pen available at all times in the event of a severe allergic reaction.