Patch Testing

It’s easy to see why contact dermatitis is assumed to be a type of allergy. As with allergic reactions, this condition is triggered by exposure to certain substances. This type of skin inflammation is also characterized with red rashes, raised bumps, severe itching (sometimes), cracking and scales, blisters, swelling, and a burning sensation — symptoms often shared by those with allergies to mites, pollen, and mold, and those allergic to some foods, insects and drugs. Only 20 percent of contact dermatitis cases are considered “allergic.” You may have this type of contact dermatitis should your skin become itchy, red, scaly, … Continue Reading

A skin test is fast and simple. As such, it’s a very common way to zero in on the cause of your allergic symptoms. With such testing, your skin is pricked to allow exposure to a small amount of the suspect allergen. Redness and swelling during the test may be an indication that the suspect substance is at fault. This may be the only test we need to identify your allergen, getting you on the road to symptom-free with a custom course of treatment. However, you may not be a candidate for the skin test, or it may be a … Continue Reading

Patch testing is a way for doctors to determine the potential causes of contact dermatitis, which is an immunological response to specific substances. Patch testing is particularly useful as it may identify allergens that were not detected during other tests such as skin prick, or blood tests. Contact dermatitis is not an actual allergy, and therefore there are no allergic antibodies. Instead, contact dermatitis reactions are caused by white blood cells. Prior to testing, the doctor will complete an evaluation, which will include questions about your rash. It is important to share when and where the rashes occur on the … Continue Reading

For patients who have a food allergy, their body has an adverse reaction to proteins that are in a particular food. This allergy can be triggered by even the tiniest amount of the food and it can show up within a matter of minutes, or up to several hours after the initial exposure. Many food allergies originate during the early childhood years; however, they can develop as an adult and can even come up in foods that were never a problem previously. Some childhood food allergies are outgrown by the time the child reaches adulthood. Common food allergies include: PeanutsTree … Continue Reading

A patch test is something that we perform in our office to help diagnose contact dermatitis, or an allergic inflammation of the skin. The test involves the use of trace amounts of different chemicals known to cause contact dermatitis placed on the patient’s back. The purpose of a patch test is to find out which chemical produces a reaction. Patients who have contact dermatitis will have a reaction on the skin when they are in contact with a particular allergen. For many patients, this reaction can be painful, itchy, and may even crack or bleed. Some of the most common … Continue Reading

For patients suffering from allergies, patch testing is a way for doctors to determine which particular substances are causing symptoms. During a patch test, your skin will be exposed to small levels of known allergy causing substances (allergens). These areas will then be looked at for signs of reaction. By finding the cause of your allergic reaction, our team is able to come up with a treatment plan to help you manage, reduce, or eliminate symptoms. Skin patch testing can be done for a variety of allergic conditions, including: Dermatitis (rashes)Food allergiesDrug allergiesLatex allergies During your initial appointment, our team … Continue Reading

Dr. Noga Askenazi and the staff use a variety of different tests to check for allergies. These tests include the skin prick test, the intradermal test, and patch testing. With the skin prick test, the skin is pricked so the allergen is placed under the surface of the skin. This test can check for reactions to a number of allergens at once and results are seen in 15-20 minutes. Using the intradermal skin test, an allergen is injected into the skin. This allergen is generally something specific, such as penicillin. The area is observed to check for a reaction. Patch … Continue Reading