When your child experiences irritating or recurrent symptoms that make you suspect they might have allergies, you want them to feel better fast — and you want answers ASAP.
Allergy testing can help us determine if their constant runny nose, random skin rashes, or unexplained digestive upset are the result of an allergic reaction. Screening tests can also reveal information about the offending allergens, so we can formulate a targeted treatment plan right from the start.
At Pediatric Practitioners of Oklahoma in Claremore, Oklahoma, our expert team knows that when it comes to controlling childhood allergies, early intervention is always best. Here’s what you should know about the various testing methods that can help us get to the bottom of your child’s allergy-like symptoms.
More than one in four children (27%) in the United States have been diagnosed with at least one allergic condition. Specifically, about one in five kids (19%) has seasonal allergies, one in 10 kids (11%) has eczema, and one in 20 kids (6%) has a food allergy.
Experts estimate that allergies affect closer to one in three young people — and that many parents simply don’t yet know about their child’s condition. Anytime you notice symptoms that could indicate allergies, it’s important to schedule an exam with our team.
We may recommend allergy testing to better evaluate:
Living with untreated allergies doesn’t just make a child feel “under the weather” or “off” when they’re experiencing symptoms; it can affect everything from their quality of play to their ability to learn and get restful sleep.
More importantly, early intervention for allergic conditions like hay fever can help reduce your child’s risk of developing asthma, too.
When allergy testing is recommended, our team chooses the appropriate diagnostic method or combination of methods based on your child’s unique case. Our pediatric providers offer a full scope of standard in-office allergy tests, including:
Percutaneous and intradermal skin tests are common diagnostic methods that can help us gain reliable insight into your child’s allergic conditions in 15-20 minutes. Safe and highly accurate for pediatric patients ages 6 months and older, hypersensitivity skin testing can help detect allergies to many substances, including:
Percutaneous skin testing, also known as the skin prick test, involves making a series of tiny, painless scratches on your child’s back using a small, toothpick-like instrument that holds trace amounts of an allergen. After this brief test, a typical allergic reaction is mild, causing a small, itchy bump that’s much like a mosquito bite.
Intradermal testing involves using a very thin needle to inject a diluted allergen into the skin. Usually conducted on the forearm, this skin test method can provide more detailed information about allergy severity; it can also detect allergies that didn’t cause a significant reaction during the skin prick test.
Skin patch testing involves placing a few drops of an allergen substance on your child’s skin, then placing a patch or bandage over the area for 48-96 hours. At that point, our team removes the patch and checks for signs of an allergic reaction (i.e., rash).
We use this delayed hypersensitivity skin test to diagnose allergic contact dermatitis that flares when your child is exposed to a substance like latex, fragrances or certain metals.
Done via a simple blood draw, allergy blood testing measures the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) — the antibody that causes allergic reactions — in your child’s blood. IgE levels may strongly suggest that your child has an allergy, but blood test results aren’t as detailed as those provided by skin testing.
Blood tests may be used in conjunction with skin testing, or when skin testing can’t be done with accuracy because your child can’t stop taking medications that can obscure skin test results (i.e., antihistamines, antidepressants).
Before testing for food allergies, we may recommend a weeklong diet that fully eliminates the suspected food or ingredient allergen. Common food allergies include soy, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and wheat.
You keep a journal of what your child eats during this time, including any reactions that occur. Skin and/or blood testing can also help us determine if your child has food allergies, although false positives are possible.
Do you think your child may have allergies? We’re here to help you find the answers you need to help them feel better. To learn more about allergy testing, call or click online to schedule a visit at Pediatric Practitioners of Oklahoma today.
