Allergy Testing

If your child is experiencing congestion, sneezing, rashes or other irritating symptoms, your child may have allergies. At ENT for Children, our providers can perform allergy tests to determine if this is the cause of your child’s condition and help them enjoy life more with the aid of specialized allergy management and treatment.

What Is an Allergy Test?

Allergists and ENTs perform tests to see if your child’s immune system overreacts to substances known as allergens and, if so, which ones affect them. People can be allergic to pollen, mold, certain foods, medications and insect stings.

• Skin Prick Testing: Your child’s ENT will use a needle to prick the skin of your child’s forearm or back with possible allergens. Alternatively, they may put droplets of allergens on your child’s skin and lightly puncture the area. Potential reactions include redness, raised skin or round spots. This test can determine airborne, food or penicillin allergies.
• Intradermal Test: These tests are often used when skin prick tests are inconclusive or negative. The ENT will inject small amounts of allergens into the epidermis or the outer layer of your child’s skin.
• Patch Test: Your doctor will put drops of an allergen onto your child’s arm and cover the area with a bandage. You’ll leave the bandage on and return to our office within several days. Your provider will then remove the bandage to check for a reaction. This test is effective at determining the causes of contact dermatitis.
• Blood Test: Your provider will take a blood sample and send it to a laboratory, where allergens are added to it. Lab staff will put allergens in the blood sample and measure the level of IgE antibodies. Blood allergy tests are susceptible to a higher rate of false-positive results.
• Challenge Test: Under direct supervision from your child’s doctor, your child will swallow a small amount of a suspected allergen to see how they react. This test determines food or drug allergies and should only be done with medical supervision.

Pulmonary Function Tests

These tests measure how your child’s lungs are working and are often completed in addition to allergy tests. They include:

• Spirometry, which measures the amount of air your child breathes in and out by breathing into a machine.
• Plethysmography, which measures your child’s lung volume, or the amount of gas in your child’s lungs, by having your child stand in a small booth and breathe into a mouthpiece.
• Diffusion capacity test, which evaluates how well the small air sacs within your child’s lungs work by having your child breathe in certain gases and breathing out into a machine.

How Can My Child Get an Allergy Test?

If they’re experiencing symptoms of allergies, our team at ENT for Children can help your child determine what’s causing them. Our provider will determine which test is the most appropriate for your child and will use the results to develop a customized treatment plan based on your child’s needs and lifestyle.

Getting an allergy test is the first step to seeking treatment for your child’s symptoms. We’re here to guide your child through the process.