Anywhere from 40 to 50 million people in the U.S. have allergies or asthma. These diseases are so common that it might seem like the diagnosis and treatment are straightforward and that any doctor should be able to administer the most effective therapies. However, allergists are experts in their field with specialized training that allows them to:
- Perform allergy testing
- Identify the source of your suffering
- Accurately diagnose your condition
- Treat more than just your symptoms
- Develop a personalized plan that eliminates your symptoms
- Provide you with the most cost-effective care that produces the best results
Two key steps in the process of allergy diagnosis are the medical history and allergy test selection. Allergists use their skills in these areas to help more patients feel well, stay active during the day, and rest at night. And that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Why Take a Medical History?
When it comes to human allergic disease, an individual’s medical history is as important as the results of an allergy test. Medical history is the critical link between allergy test results and allergic disease itself.
Allergy skin testing is the gold standard and is used along with the medical history to establish a diagnosis. Both blood and skin allergy tests can detect a patient’s sensitivity to common inhalants like pollen and dust mites or to medicines, certain foods, latex, venom, or other substances. Generally skin testing is the most accurate and preferred method used by trained allergists. Allergy blood tests may be ordered in certain specific situations, such as severe skin rashes, or if it is impossible to stop a medication that interferes with the interpretation of the skin test.
If the results of skin and blood allergy tests are not clear or are inconsistent with the patient’s medical history, allergists rely on their training and experience along with a patient’s medical history and a physical examination—not test results—to make the final diagnosis.
Research confirms what allergists already know: Allergy tests are valuable for their ability to give accurate and reliable results that confirm information gathered in the medical history.
Why Is Allergy Test Choice Important?
An important related consideration is for health practitioners to choose the right test, the one best able to aid the diagnostic process. For many reasons, that’s not an easy job. Allergy patients are often sensitized to many allergens, but are only clinically allergic to one or more specific substances. Allergists are trained to select tests that pinpoint the relevant allergen, which enables them to develop optimal therapies for each patient.
Board-certified allergists recognize that not all allergy tests are alike. They regularly review the scientific literature to learn which testing systems work better than others and the laboratory practices that may affect test results.
Allergy tests should not be ordered randomly, either. They are chosen based on symptoms, environmental and occupational exposures, age, and even hobbies. All results are then interpreted in the context of the patient’s medical history.
Get the facts: Find answers with an allergist.