Downriver ENT provides advanced allergy testing for individuals who We’re proud to offer allergy tests among our comprehensive list of ENT services. If you’re interested in allergy testing, allow us to take the time to explain how the allergy test procedure works.

About Allergy Testing

Your typical allergy testing procedure will be a skin prick test, also referred to as a puncture or scratch test. This is the most common way to determine whether a patient has allergies. This test will check for allergic reactions for up to 40 different substances at the same time. These substances can include pollen, mold, pet dander, and foods. Most allergies that will be tested for can be identified in mere minutes.

How an Allergy Test Is Performed

Our standard allergy test, the skin prick test, is performed through these steps:

• First, the part of your skin that will be tested is cleaned with alcohol. This will usually be on either the forearm or upper back.
• Your doctor will draw a small mark on that area of your skin and then place a drop of allergen next to it. Two other substances are used as well: histamine and glycerin. These allergens are used to guarantee the validity of the test. Most people react to histamine and don’t react to glycerin. If these two conditions aren’t met, it is likely that the skin won’t accurately read the other allergens.
• The doctor will use a special tool to prick the outer layer of your skin and let the allergen in.
• You’ll then wait about 15 minutes to see the results of the test. If you happen to be allergic to one of the substances that was tested, you’ll start to develop a red bump that looks similar to a mosquito bite. The results of this will be recorded; the larger the irritation, the more allergic your skin is.

Schedule A Detroit and Allen Park Allergy Test

Allergies affect more than 50 million Americans per year and can actually be a hidden cause of why you’re not feeling as good as you could be. If you’d like to schedule an appointment for an allergy test, we encourage you to give us a call at one of our two convenient locations. You can reach us at (313) 381-8787 for our Allen Park, MI office or (248) 304-7772 for our Southfield, MI office. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can’t wait to hear from you!