What To Expect In An Allergy Clinic

By | March 31, 2017

allergy clinic

When you are suffering from any type of surgery, you are highly recommended to visit an allergy clinic. This is to allow the doctor to analyze your condition and recommend the best course of action. The doctor can recommend that you go home and rest or give you some medications.

What to expect when you visit an allergy clinic

The clinic is similar to a regular clinic; therefore, you shouldn’t be worried of what you will find there. Just like your regular clinic you will find, receptionists, nurses, and doctors. The receptionists will take your details and take them to the doctor who will get your medical history. For the doctor to recommend the best medication, he/she has to undertake a number of allergy tests that include:

Scratch test: A scratch test checks for instant allergic reactions, and is normally performed to establish allergies to foods, dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and mold. If you’re an adult, the doctor will perform the test on your forearm, and if you’re a child, the test is conducted on your upper back.

Patch test: We also have the patch test, which involves putting allergens on patches which are then stuck on the back or arm. A patch test can take an hour and you might need two visits. You might need to wear the patch for up to 48 hours just in case your reaction to an allergen is delayed.

Intradermal test: The doctor can also perform an intradermal test, which involves injecting a small dose of allergen under the skin. An intradermal test takes around 5-10 minutes, and then you need to wait for around fifteen minutes to discover how you react to the allergen.

As you might have noticed, all of these tests are meant to determine how sensitive your body is to certain allergens. From the information gathered from the tests the allergy doctor will be able to recommend the right medications for your condition.

Conclusion

You need to visit a clinic for the doctor to determine the type of allergy that you are suffering from and recommend the best treatment method. There are some people that go straight to the drug store and get the over the counter medications but this shouldn’t be you. Remember that the medications can cause complications when taken inappropriately. To be on the safe side, visit an experienced allergist before taking the medications.