Can allergy tests help determine the cause of breathing problems?
Allergy tests may help your doctor identify the cause of your breathing problems. There are several types of allergy tests your doctor might use. One of them is the prick technique. In this test, the doctor first puts a tiny drop of allergen on your skin. Then the doctor makes a puncture with a needle directly in the drop of allergen extract. If you are allergic to the specific allergen, your body will react to it by turning red at the site. You may also experience itching and swelling at the site of the allergen placement. If the prick technique is negative, your doctor may inject the allergen extract directly under the skin using a syringe. Other allergy tests include: • the scratch test, which involves breaking the skin and then dropping the specific allergen into the site • allergy blood tests (called a RAST or radioallergosorbent test) • a challenge test, in which the doctor introduces tiny amounts of the suspected allergen by inhaled, oral, or other routes These tests are used le