Does allergy and immunology perform allergy testing?

Yes, an allergy and immunology service can assess you and arrange or perform appropriate allergy testing. Testing is chosen after discussing the reaction, timing, possible trigger, medicines and other health conditions.

An allergy clinician may consider skin prick testing, a blood test for allergy-related antibodies, or another supervised assessment. A result is interpreted with your history; a positive test does not by itself prove that an exposure caused every symptom. Some medicines can affect testing, so tell the service about antihistamines, inhalers and other treatments before the appointment.

Write down what you ate, touched or breathed before symptoms began, how quickly symptoms appeared, and what happened after avoiding the suspected trigger. Bring a medicine list and any previous results. Do not deliberately expose yourself to a suspected allergen at home. Follow the clinic's instructions about medicines, food and skin products before testing.

Seek urgent help if an exposure causes trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, widespread hives, or repeated vomiting. These can indicate a severe allergic reaction and need immediate treatment. Testing should be arranged after the emergency has been managed, rather than used during a dangerous reaction.

Ask which test fits your reaction, whether any medicines must be paused, what a positive or negative result can show, and how the findings will change your avoidance or treatment plan.