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How Allergy Testing Works and Why Your Results Matter
Do you suspect you have an allergy but cannot pinpoint what’s triggering it?
Maybe your nose runs at certain times of year, your skin reacts after meals, or you feel tired and uncomfortable for reasons you cannot explain.
Living with ongoing symptoms like these can be discouraging, especially when answers feel out of reach.
At Atlantic Integrative Medicine, we offer allergy testing and at-home treatments to help bring structure to that uncertainty by showing how your immune system responds to specific triggers.
In this blog post, you’ll learn how allergy testing works, what your results can tell you, and how those results are used in real clinical care.
What is Allergy Testing?
Allergy testing is a medical process used to identify substances that trigger an immune response.
When you have an allergy, your immune system reacts to something that is usually harmless to most people. This reaction can lead to symptoms like itching, swelling, congestion, coughing, or digestive issues.
Allergy testing looks for signs of this immune response. It doesn’t diagnose conditions on its own. Instead, it adds important context to your health history and symptoms.
In clinical practice, allergy testing is one tool used alongside physical exams, symptom timelines, and lifestyle factors.
Testing may focus on reactions to pollen, mold, dust, foods, pet dander, or contact substances. The purpose is to move away from guesswork and toward a clearer understanding.
Types of Allergy Tests Used in Medical Care
There are several types of allergy testing. The method chosen depends on your symptoms, medical history, and overall health.
Common types include:
Skin Prick Testing
This test places small amounts of allergens on or just under the skin. A reaction such as redness or swelling is then observed.
A skin prick test can take three to five minutes per allergen. After submitting the application, you will wait about 15 to 20 minutes so that your provider can check for a reaction.
Blood Testing
An allergy blood test measures antibodies linked to allergic responses. These antibodies are called immunoglobulin E, or IgE.
An allergy blood test typically takes about 10 minutes, as it involves only the collection of a blood sample. Blood testing may be used when skin testing isn’t recommended.
Patch Testing
Patch testing is often used for contact allergies. Small patches with allergens are placed on the skin. A patch test can also take about three to five minutes per allergen.
With this test, you go home and return a few days later, so your provider can check for delayed reactions.
How Healthcare Providers Interpret Allergy Test Results
Allergy test results need careful interpretation. Healthcare professionals consider several factors when reviewing allergy testing results:
- Symptom Patterns: Results are compared with the onset of symptoms and their duration. Timing and exposure play a key role.
- Strength of Reaction: Some results show mild immune responses. Others show stronger activity. These differences help guide next steps.
- Overall Health and Lifestyle: Diet, environment, stress, and sleep all affect how your body responds. Results are reviewed alongside these factors.
What Happens If the Results Are Positive?
A positive allergy testing result means your immune system reacted to a specific substance during testing. It doesn’t automatically mean that the substance is the main cause of your symptoms. This is why follow-up discussion is important.
If the results are positive, your provider reviews them in conjunction with your symptoms and daily exposures. Together, you’ll talk through when symptoms appear, how often you encounter the allergen, and how strong your reactions tend to be.
One option that may be discussed is allergy shots. These are a form of immunotherapy that can decrease your immune system’s response to environmental allergens such as pet dander.
This treatment works gradually by exposing your immune system to small, controlled amounts of an allergen over time.
Allergy immunotherapy is a long-term approach that helps your immune system react less strongly to the triggers that set off your symptoms.
Many patients notice steady improvement over time, and some continue to feel better even after treatment ends.
One of the best parts is convenience. You can do your treatment at home, so you don’t have to come into the office for each injection.
Your provider will build a plan that fits your needs and walk you through exactly how to do it safely, including dosing, timing, and check-ins along the way.
Allergy Testing and Allergy Shots Available at Atlantic Integrative Medicine in Harrisonburg, VA
At Atlantic Integrative Medicine, you receive care guided by medical expertise and focused on understanding how your immune system responds over time.
We offer allergy testing and allergy shots as part of a personalized care approach, with careful attention to your symptoms, health history, and daily life.
For added convenience, we also offer at-home treatment, so you can follow your plan without coming into the office for each injection.
We serve patients in Harrisonburg, VA, and accept a wide range of insurance plans, including Original Medicare (the red, white, and blue card), Medicare with secondary insurance such as Plan F or Plan G, and many commercial PPO plans. These include Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Tricare, and others.
Contact our office to schedule a consultation and talk through your next steps with a provider.
