ALLERGY TESTING
Here at Randolph Pulmonary and Sleep Clinic, our goal is to minimize the amount of medication used to treat allergy symptoms and improve your day to day quality of life.
ALLERGIES WE TREAT
An allergy is a reaction by your immune system to something that does not bother most other people. People who have allergies often are sensitive to more than one thing.
Substances that often cause reactions are:
Pollen
Dust Mites
Mold Spores
Pet Dander
Food
Insect Stings
Medications
Normally, your immune system fights germs. It is your body's defense system. In most allergic reactions, however, it is responding to a false alarm. Genes and the environment probably both play a role. Allergies can cause a variety of symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes, swelling, or asthma.
IN-OFFICE TESTING
SKIN SCRATCH TEST
A skin scratch test checks for immediate allergic reactions to as many as 70 different substances at once. This test is usually done to identify allergies to pollen, mold, pet dander, dust mites.
IMMUNOTHERAPY SHOTS
Allergy shots are regular injections over a period of time — generally around three to five years — to stop or reduce allergy attacks.
Each allergy shot contains a tiny amount of the specific substance or substances that trigger your allergic reactions. These are called allergens. Allergy shots contain just enough allergens to stimulate your immune system — but not enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction.
Over time, your doctor increases the dose of allergens in each of your allergy shots. This helps get your body used to the allergens (desensitization). Your immune system builds up a tolerance to the allergens, causing your allergy symptoms to diminish over time.
