This is a surprisingly common visit. A patient comes in with a runny nose and a scratchy throat. In some cases they’ve already taken a decongestant, but haven’t seen any effects. In other cases they’ve been taking allergy medication and it doesn’t seem to be helping.
We know colds, and when a patient has tried treating themselves without effect, we typically refer them to a specialist. All the allergy specialists we know of require a referral from a general practice physician.
Is it a cold or allergies? Thankfully there are several ways to verify which it is and treat it.
Skin Prick Test
This test is not as uncomfortable as it sounds, even though it entails allergens and needles.
The test is performed by applying drops of allergenic solution to the forearm and then lightly pricking or scratching the skin around the solution to enable the allergens to seep into the skin. It isn’t long before the patient develops small, red bumps (called wheals) on the forearm. This is called a positive reaction, and indicates that the patient is allergic to the specific allergen and can be treated for it.
Intradermal Test
The intradermal test is a more thorough version of the skin prick test. Allergens are injected into the skin to test for a suspected reaction. These test often prove that the patient needs to be treated for additional allergies.
Skin Patch Test
The least invasive of the three; a skin patch test requires a patient to wear a patch on their skin for 24 to 72 hours to test for a reaction to allergens that irritate the skin.
This test is only effective for skin allergies.
Blood Test
A blood test is the alternative for patients who can’t take skin tests. Allergy specialists examine the blood for certain antibodies that may react in the presence of certain allergies.
Blood tests are not as accurate as skin tests, but can still help doctors know some allergies a patient should be treated for.
If you are having unexplained cold or allergy systems, we would like to help you get the treatment you need. Call us at 801-724-9840.