Prick tests detect if you have any allergies

When springtime comes it is very common to notice symptoms such as; mucus, itchy nose, throat or eyes, sneezing, and inflammation, among many others, which indicates we are allergic to some environmental substance.

If you have these or other symptoms like hives, rash, breathing difficulty or any other unusual, even if you have lived with it for many years and you don’t think it is something strange, it would be very convenient to do an allergies test.

How allergies could be detected

Before doing any test, Dr. Lehrer will ask you about your medical history: Periods of the year and situations where the symptoms appear, the frequency and intensity of them, family history or habits.

Then he will do a medical exploration to detect affected areas and finally determine what allergies test is the most appropriate in your case, being the most common Prick tests.

How are prick tests done?

Pick tests are done on the forearm or back:

• First of all, we clean and disinfect the skin with alcohol or acetone and we wait until it is completely dry.
• Then, a small amount of each suspect allergen is placed on the skin to correctly identify which substance is the patient allergic to.
• Once the allergens are placed on the skin, the drops are pierced with lancets, puncturing the epidermis at a very superficial level, that way the substance penetrates the skin.
• And finally you will wait between 10 and 20 minutes to see the skin reaction; If a skin reaction appears on any area where the allergens have been placed, it will be indicating what exact substance the patient is allergic to, and then, being able to proceed with its treatment and symptoms relief.

What is the next step once we know what we are allergic to?

Once Dr. Lehrer detects what type of allergy you have, he will proceed to prescribe the symptomatic treatment that suits your case, which may be, for example, antihistamine treatments, eye drops, sublingual vaccines or removing something from your diet. He might consider doing a specific allergen blood test, as well. He will also quote us for an upcoming appointment to follow our evolution and treatment and this way improve our daily life and be able to do sports regularly, or don’t feel symptoms such as itchiness or have watery eyes.

Risks and what do we have to be aware of before doing the test?

Prick tests are very safe. Even if you are pregnant or breastfeeding could be done. Serious allergic reactions hardly ever occur but in the rare case that it happens, at Turo Park Medical Centre we have a medical team prepared to solve any eventuality.

You have to consider these recommendations, before doing the prick test:

• There should be no skin lesions.
• Not to have taken anti-allergic medication during the previous days.
• Not to have used corticosteroid creams on the skin.

If you think you have an allergic reaction, do not hesitate to contact our expert team at Turo Park Medical Center. You can book an appointment with Dr. Lehrer, call (+34) 93 252 97 29 or visit our medical center in Barcelona.