Diagnosing Allergies

Based on a detailed history and thorough examination, we may advise skin or blood testing to determine what you are allergic to. Testing directly on the skin offers the highest level of sensitivity and specificity for most patients. We have every type of testing available, although we pride ourselves on using only the most sensitive and specific methods. This type of testing may take a little bit longer, but it is clearly superior to other methods.

For patients that cannot do skin testing, we send our blood samples to the best laboratories in the country. We are constantly reassessing the performance of these labs.

The methods we utilize will indicate not only what you are allergic to, but also how allergic you are. This allows us to start immunotherapy at a dose tailored to you, which also allows us escalate immunotherapy doses more quickly and safely. During the skin testing session, the nurse takes the time to educate you on allergy and counsel you on environmental measures.

Once we determine what you are allergic to, we can attempt to minimize exposure and possibly diminish your sensitivity. See treating allergies for more information.