Allergy Testing

If you're one of the more than 50 million people in the United States who experience allergies each year, you know how debilitating the symptoms can be. And it's especially frustrating when you don't know what you're allergic to. Hayk Papukhyan, MD, Alina Ter-Grigorian, NP, and their team at Care Now Medical Group in North Hollywood, California, offer comprehensive allergy testing services to find the cause of your symptoms and help you feel yourself again. Call the office to schedule an appointment, or request one online today.

What is allergy testing?

Your immune system keeps your body safe from harm. But sometimes, it identifies a substance as harmful, even if it's not, and develops an allergy to it. 

The substance is called an allergen, and it causes an allergic reaction when you come into contact with it. The most common allergies are food, pollen, and insects. Allergic reactions range from mildly irritating to life-threatening. 

Not all allergies are obvious, and you may have multiple allergies that you're not even aware of. The team uses allergy testing to identify what substances trigger your allergic response and to what extent. They then create an individualized treatment plan to help you manage your allergy and its symptoms.

How does allergy testing work?

Depending on your symptoms and the types of allergens that your provider wants to test for, they may suggest either a skin test or a blood test. If they think you might have a food allergy, they may also recommend an elimination diet.

Skin test

Skin tests are the most common allergy test. Any reaction to a substance shows redness or swelling at its point of contact. 

Scratch tests use a tiny needle carrying an allergen to prick your arm or back. 

Intradermal tests involve injecting a small amount of the allergen into your arm, and patch tests place an adhesive patch containing allergens onto the skin.

Blood test

If a skin test is too risky given your allergy symptoms, your provider performs a blood test instead. Blood tests check for the presence of antibodies that fight specific allergens. 

Elimination diet

An elimination diet involves cutting out certain foods from your diet to see if there's an improvement and adding them back in later to check for a reaction.

Care Now Medical Group offers allergy testing in a safe, controlled environment to get to the source of your allergy symptoms.

What are the benefits of allergy testing?

Knowing what causes your allergy is the first step to preventing its symptoms from affecting your quality of life. Allergy testing allows you to:

• Make lifestyle changes to avoid harmful allergens
• Prepare for allergy season
• Take preventive medication if available
• Have a treatment plan in the event of a reaction

Allergy tests provide peace of mind. Call Care Now Medical Group to schedule an allergy test or request an appointment online today.