Fundamentals About Allergies

Symptoms can range from mild to severe. However, having symptoms doesn't necessarily mean a patient has an Allergy. More importantly, early diagnosis and treatment of Allergy have been shown to modify the course of the disease and help prevent subsequent development of other more serious conditions. Like any disease, the diagnosis of Allergy begins with a medical professional carefully examining the patient's clinical history and symptoms. Allergy testing may be used to identify the specific causes of allergic reaction.

There are three common testing methods:

1. Skin test

2. In vitro blood test

3. Provocation (or food challenge) test