Spring Allergies Coming Soon: Should I Get Tested?

Achoo! Plants are starting to grow again, dust is kicking up during spring cleaning and stinging insects are reemerging. If you’ve noticed yourself sneezing, itching or wheezing lately, you may have spring allergies. Should you get tested?

Reasons to Get Allergy Tested

• Identify Triggers: Allergy testing helps pinpoint the specific substances causing your symptoms such as pollen, pet dander, mold or certain foods. Knowing your triggers allows you to manage or avoid them effectively.
• Improve Your Health: Left untreated, allergies can lead to chronic issues like sinus infections, asthma or eczema. Test results allow you to target your specific allergies with the right treatments to improve your symptoms now and in the future.
• Personalized Treatment: Not all allergies are the same. Testing ensures you receive a tailored approach to managing your allergies, no matter how mild or severe.
• Prevent Severe Reactions: For those with food or insect sting allergies, testing can help identify life-threatening allergies so you can take preventative measures to avoid them.

How Allergy Testing Works

• Skin Prick Test: This involves placing small amounts of potential allergens on your skin, typically on the forearm or back, and lightly pricking the area. If you’re allergic, you’ll develop a small, raised bump at the site.
• Blood Test: For those who can’t undergo skin testing, a blood test can measure the level of antibodies in your blood in response to specific allergens.
• Patch Test: For contact allergies, a patch containing allergens is applied to your skin for 48 hours to identify delayed allergic reactions.

Based on your allergy test results, there are many treatment options to address your allergies.

• Lifestyle adjustments to avoid allergens
• Over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines, decongestants and corticosteroids
• Nasal sprays
• Eye drops
• Allergy shots

Our team at Biltmore ENT is ready to help you live a better quality of life by offering treatments for allergies in Phoenix. Click HERE to see testing and treatment options at Biltmore ENT. Don’t wait for your Spring allergies to catch up with you!