Allergy Testing in Burbank & San Diego, CA
Identify the Underlying Cause of Your Sinus Condition
Allergy testing provides patients throughout Burbank, CA, San Diego, CA, and the surrounding areas with many benefits. Chronic sinus infections can be a symptom of allergies. If you do not test your allergies, the issue may worsen and lead to symptoms like congestion, inflammation, coughing, and shortness of breath. This is why it’s vital to be tested and have an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor examine you to understand your unique allergy profile. Then, an allergy treatment plan can be developed to improve any quality-of-life issues related to chronic sinus conditions.
Understanding Your Unique Allergy Profile
All individual allergy profiles are unique. Symptoms may seem similar amongst sufferers, but each person’s allergies respond differently to their bodies. This is why it is essential to consult with an ENT professional to understand your allergies and develop a treatment plan specifically tailored for you. Sinus conditions can be difficult to self-diagnose. People often think they have a cold or a headache, not realizing they have a sinus condition. We are always happy to help educate our valued patients.
Take the assessment to see what sinus issues you are experiencing and their impacts on your quality of life.
What is Allergy Testing?
Allergy testing is a type of medical testing that can determine whether a patient’s immune system overreacts to certain substances known as allergens. Allergy testing identifies allergens – such as mold, pet dander, peanuts, and more – that can cause allergies. During this testing, the body is assessed for a reaction to specific allergens. If you have an allergic reaction, it means you have an allergy.
The Types of Allergy Testing We Offer
SoCal Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers offers three different types of allergy testing. Allergy testing for adults can be critical to adults living a happy, healthy life. This is why we offer allergy skin testing and more at our state-of-the-art facility. Below, we’ve gone into detail about the allergy testing types we offer:
Skin Prick Testing
Skin pricking the arm is a quick way to identify your reaction to some of the most common allergens. These allergens include dust mites, pet dander, and pollen. The test is administered without pain but can be adapted based on age or comfort level if necessary. Modern skin pricks are like fingernail scratches that do not penetrate the skin nor cause bleeding. Skin prick tests are safe and accurate.
- To begin, the skin is cleaned with alcohol to ensure all foreign substances are removed. Then, tiny marks are drawn around the prick target areas.
- The skin is then pricked, and a solution with a small amount of the allergen is introduced.
- Finally, two final control pricks for comparison purposes are performed, one containing saline and another containing histamine (which should cause a small allergic reaction).
The reaction’s degree is measured based on how your skin reacts to each allergen. For example, if you are allergic to one of the pricks, you might see a slight bump known as a “wheal.” The wheal may also have surrounding redness called a “flare.” By comparing these reactions with saline and histamine reactions, we examine which allergens your body is reacting to and their severity. As a result, we can learn about your allergies and put together plans specific for every individual.
Blood Testing
The best testing for you is the one that fits your medical history, health conditions, and allergy issues. Blood testing is not used as often as a skin test, but it can be necessary for specific situations. We will work with your medical team and medical history to ensure that your allergy test is safe and accurate. The following reasons may necessitate the use of blood testing:
- Your medication reacts with the skin itself – some of your current medications might cause an inaccurate result on a given day if their effects are shown at high concentrations during this time. Sometimes, your physician will be able to temporarily pause your medication to perform the test. Our clinical team can use blood sample data or lab values from urine samples collected before taking any particular substance.
- If you have certain conditions involving psoriasis or eczema, making it difficult to get an accurate skin-test result.
- If you experience unusual allergic reactions, another option would be to test them via blood rather than through traditional means such as open-air tests.
Intradermal Skin Testing
During a regular skin test, specific allergens will not react on the skin’s surface. Instead, these substances need to be introduced just below the skin’s surface to get a response from the body. This is where the intradermal skin test comes into play. During an intradermal skin test, a small needle will inject a trace amount of the specific allergen resulting in a short period of mild discomfort. Some allergens that may require an intradermal skin test include penicillin and other medication allergies, as well as insect venoms, such as those from wasps, hornets, and bees. Like a regular skin test, this test is perfectly safe and is done with close monitoring to ensure safety and maximize comfort.
The Benefits of Allergy Testing
If you’re interested in undergoing allergy testing, you’ve come to the right place. SoCal Breathe Free Sinus Allergy Centers in Burbank, CA and San Diego, CA is Southern California’s leader in treating sinus and allergy issues and employing empathetic patient-friendly care. Not only will allergy testing help determine what is causing your sinus condition, but it will pinpoint the allergy at hand, help you avoid problematic allergens, and help you obtain a personalized and effective allergy treatment plan moving forward.
Available Allergy Treatments
At SoCal Breathe Free Sinus Allergy Centers, we put our decades of experience into practice by providing comprehensive assessments like no other center. We are dedicated to helping our valued patients understand how their allergies, sinuses, or other medical conditions work together. Our customized treatment plans can be tailored to your unique needs and health history to give you the best care possible. Your treatment plan may include any of the following:
- Allergy Medication – Depending on the severity and your overall goals, over-the-counter or prescription medications may be used. These can help control the symptoms of your allergies.
- Medical Procedures – Sinus issues that worsen allergy symptoms usually negatively affect allergy sufferers. These range from sinus infectionsto sleep disruption to other problems that affect the ear, nose, or throat. The safe, affordable, and non-invasive treatment options for your medical needs go hand-in-hand to complete a comprehensive solution.
- Allergy Immunotherapy – Immunotherapy– allergy shots or drops – should be considered if you want to treat your allergies in the long term rather than just controlling symptoms. During immunotherapy, your body is introduced to a little of your allergen over a long period to “retrain” your body to identify it as harmless. This is the only form of medical management that treats your allergies rather than controlling symptoms.
The Risks of Testing & Treatment Outside Your ENT’s Office
Allergy testing results are only as good as the facility performing the test. Now that allergies have become more popular, many people are entering the allergy testing business. However, with so many factors involved in a comprehensive testing for allergies – it is vital to go to a board-certified professional who offers high-quality tests. Others may offer just one type of test and send you on your way, leaving all other aspects of your health issues unresolved. Visit SoCal Breathe Free Sinus Allergy Centers today to get unparalleled allergy testing and treatment at a state-of-the-art facility.
Contact SoCal Breathe Free Sinus Allergy Centers Today
SoCal Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers provide allergy treatment to residents of Burbank, CA, San Deigo, CA and the surrounding areas Contact us today to schedule an appointment.