Benefits of Comprehensive Allergy Testing

Coughing, sneezing, trouble swallowing and even skin rashes are all signs that a person could be suffering with undiagnosed allergies. What makes allergies such a problem is that they can be severe in many patients, and in some people, allergies can even be life-threatening to people with extremely weak immune systems who exhibit harsh reactions to various substances, like peanuts, for example. When allergies start to make a person’s quality of life decline, this will generally lead to a need to undergo comprehensive allergy testing. The following are a few important benefits that can arise from undergoing comprehensive allergy testing at our office.

Start with a Medical Exam

When it comes to getting to the root of allergies, it is important to first see a doctor for a general medical exam. As a doctor observes the types of symptoms you are exhibiting, they may want to run a few initial tests to make sure that the symptoms in question are the results of an allergic reaction, or they may learn that the symptoms are something else entirely. Once a doctor has ruled out other possibilities, it will then be time to start considering that the symptoms in question are more likely allergy-related.

During allergy testing, the patient may be exposed to specific allergens. The test hopes to help identify which substances being tested for are the likely cause of various allergic reactions a patient is exhibiting. So, one of the major benefits of this part of the comprehensive allergy testing process is to help identify the specific allergens that are causing a patient to react. Once these specific allergens are known, a patient can more aggressively seek to counter their effects, either by avoiding the substances that cause these reactions, or by desensitizing the body to the substances causing the reactions.

Other Benefits

Aside from the benefits of identifying and treating underlying allergies, comprehensive allergy testing can bring about other important benefits as well. For example, the existence of multiple allergic reaction sites can expose that a patient has a weak immune system. This underlying problem may not be as apparent without this evidence to expose the problem exists. Once the patient and the doctor knows the immune system is severely compromised, they can take steps to help correct this problem. A direct result of correcting a weak immune system is that the body will have an easier time suppressing allergic reactions because a stronger immune system will tolerate allergens far more effectively than a weak immune system will.

Another major benefit of allergy testing that leads to an approach to deal with allergies is that patients get a better night’s sleep. When a patient is not bothered by coughing, sneezing and the need to scratch all the time, they can finally get good quality sleep. This benefit alone is worth undergoing comprehensive allergy testing at Metro Dermatology to learn which allergens are leaving a patient to suffer with poor quality sleep.

Metro Dermatology has locations in Elmhurst, Flushing, Englewood, and the Bronx. Contact us today to schedule a consultation for allergy testing.