Allergies are a common chronic health condition that affects up to 50 million people in the United States. Allergy testing finds the allergen causing your symptoms so you can develop a plan to manage your condition. At ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA in Sewickley, Beaver/Vanport Township, Seven Fields, or Ohio Valley in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, the allergy team offers allergy testing to find common and uncommon allergens. Call the office nearest you or schedule an appointment online today.
The ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA team offers allergy testing to all patients with allergy symptoms. Testing helps the team assess your individual and personal level of response to the common, or uncommon, allergen or irritant causing the reaction.
ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA offers an allergy skin test and an allergy blood test.
The allergy skin test is the “gold standard” test for allergies. It provides fast, reliable results. The team performs skin tests at the office. There are two types of allergy skin tests: prick test and intradermal test.
During the skin prick test, the allergy nurses and team at ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA prick your skin with a tiny amount of allergen. For an intradermal skin test, they inject a small amount of allergen under the skin.
The skin prick test is more common than the intradermal skin test. However, the team may perform the intradermal test if they suspect you have allergies to insect stings or penicillin.
Allergy testing can also be accomplished via blood test, also known as a RAST (radioallergosorbent test). While more convenient, this is oftentimes less sensitive to allergies. Your physician will discuss with you the benefits of skin testing versus laboratory blood draw testing.
After allergy testing, the team at ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA talks to you about the results. They also talk to you about how you can avoid the substance that triggers your allergies to minimize symptoms.
The team will also discuss your treatment options. For some allergies, the team may recommend allergy medications to manage symptoms. The practice also offers immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots and convenient sublingual drops.
Immunotherapy desensitizes your body to your allergen, significantly improving your symptoms.
ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA also provides cutting-edge biologic medications, allowing them to tailor treatment to best meet your needs.
Allergy testing identifies the substance causing your symptoms so you can develop an effective treatment plan. Call ENT and Allergy Specialists of Western PA or schedule your allergy testing online today.
