In my last post I covered how to best find an allergist and how to get set up with an appointment at the Allergist of your choice. In these next two posts I want to familiarize you with what your allergist appointment may be like.
The basic, physical steps of an allergist appointment may be well known by you, or you may have no idea what to expect. I had no idea what we were going to experience, and that anxiety alone was difficult, nevermind the combination of that concern, and my childs problems she was experiencing- I just wanted answers, on how to help her, and what to expect as we are trying to figure things out. I hope this gives you a better idea of what the appointment will entail, and can ease any concerns.
Our first allergist appointment was a great stepping stone toward finding an answer to the questions we had. I will tell you the allergist we went to, is not the one we stayed with, however we were able to get our preliminary questions answered, major tests done, and walked out of the office that day with a list of items my child could not eat. Finally, we had a beginning, basic plan and map to make it work.
That day was incredibly overwhelming, but looking back, it was a wonderful thing- all at the same time.
Allergists are fairly standard in their means for diagnosis of allergies, it’s been my experience (and through research I can say confidently) most allergists do the same types of tests when determining what allergies a person has. Typically they use either a scratch test, or a blood test, sometimes they will determine allergies by combining both, and re-assessing the results of each test when the results of all the tests have returned.
The first Allergist we saw required us to use a cream to numb my daughters arm before doing her “scratch test”. Two days before the appointment, I had the prescription called in, I picked it up, and came home to slather my daughters forearm in the ointment. Once that task was done, I used plastic wrap, per the Dr's orders, to cover her arms, so she couldn’t get to the cream. The cream had to be on the skin for two hours prior to them doing the testing. I’ll warn you: no 14month old child, no matter how well behaved, really wants or feels the need for plastic saran wrap on her arm, be advised -- you’ll need two adults! My lesson was learned, the hard way!
Some offices, like my current Allergist I use today, do not use arm testing, and rely on back scratch tests. In my opinion, these tests are better because the surface area is larger and easier to access thereby allowing a broader spectrum of allergens to be tested for in one visit. Also, as children cannot reach their back there is less fighting while waiting for the serum to work, and the result to develop. My current office also does not use a numbing agent prior, they use a cream after the test. Again, each office is different, but the "itchy's" you'll likely get from the test, will be taken care of before you leave the office.
If blood work is what your Dr. chooses to test with, it is a simple lab procedure, just like any other blood draw. They will write the prescription, you'll have the labs and wait for the Dr. to receive the results.
Nearly every visit I've made with my daughter, they have done both back scratches and blood work. The theory being that when there is a high positive result on a skin test, the Dr. wants to verify the result with blood work. If the result is a high positive on both, there is little, if any doubt that there is a true allergy. Once the labs are back, your doctors office will call you to advise of the results, or to schedule an appointment to review the new (if needed) plan of action to work with allergies you have.
Please see my next post where I will review exactly how a "Scratch Test" is done. I will include tips on being prepared for the appointment, and how to make it an easier visit.
This took me back to when I had my allergy testing done years ago! It was for environmental stuff though, not food.
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