Allergy Tests
To pinpoint the allergy problem -- and determine the treatment – your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and habits. You’ll also need various tests.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing allergies starts with a doctor’s exam. Learn which questions your doctor may ask so you can be prepared.
Proper testing can make it much easier to live with a food allergy. See a list of the most common food allergies and learn how testing can make your life easier.
If you have a food allergy, you may need to keep a food diary – and remove certain foods from your diet – to determine exactly what you’re allergic to.
The elimination diet involves removing specific foods or ingredients from your diet that you and your doctor suspect may be causing your allergy symptoms (common allergy-causing foods include milk, eggs, nuts, wheat, and soy). Your doctor will supervise this diet over a few weeks.
Tests
An allergy skin test is used to identify the substances that are causing your allergy reactions. Learn more about allergy skin tests, including what happens during the test.
See how blood tests are used to diagnose allergies and learn what can interfere with the test.
