Get Your Allergies Under Control with Allergy Testing

Sneezing, coughing, or itchy eyes? Are you experiencing one or all of these symptoms regularly? You might have allergies.

Allergies are common, affecting as many as 50 million people every year. You can get relief from your symptoms, but you need to know what’s causing them. 

Our team provides in-office allergy testing at Health Solutions in Munster, Indiana, Tinley Park, Rockford, and Olympia Fields, Illinois. 

Here, we discuss why getting tested is the best way to get control of your allergies.

About allergies

Your immune system protects you from getting sick by fighting off potential invaders like germs and toxins. If you have allergies, your body considers a particular substance harmful to your health, even though it’s not to most people. So, it releases antibodies to fight off the “invader.”

This immune system reaction to a foreign substance triggers the release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms, such as a rash or hives, sneezing or itchy eyes, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. 

These foreign substances are called allergens.

About allergens

You can develop an allergy to any substance. However, some are more likely to cause an allergic reaction than others. 

Common allergens include:

• Seasonal allergens: pollen, grass, or ragweed
• Food allergens: milk, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, shellfish, or fish
• Insect bites: bee, wasp, hornet, yellow jacket, or fire ant
• Environmental allergens: pet dander, dust, mold, and cockroaches
• Drug allergens: penicillin or sulfa drugs
• Latex allergen (natural rubber)

If you are allergic to one substance, you’re more likely to develop an allergy to another. People with seasonal and environmental allergies often develop allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, which causes sneezing, a runny nose, a stuffy nose, and/or itchy eyes. 

Hay fever is common in people with asthma, and the allergens may trigger an asthma attack.

Getting tested

Many types of allergy tests can identify your allergens. At Health Solutions, we perform in-office skin prick testing, the gold-standard allergy test. This test is safe and gives us quick results.

For this test, we prick or scratch your skin with a tiny drop of the suspected allergen and wait 15 minutes. If you develop a mosquito bite-like bump at the site of the skin prick, then we’ve identified your allergen or allergens.

During this in-office test, we usually check for multiple allergies. The sooner we know what’s causing your symptoms, the sooner we can start treatment to help you get relief.

Allergy testing is essential for controlling allergy symptoms. We can provide the testing you need right at the office. Call the location closest to you or request an appointment online today.