Updated:

August 1, 2019

What to Expect From an Allergy Test

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Being a mother can make you paranoid about a lot of things – sneezing, bodies of water, sharp objects, the list goes on. One of the last things you want to be doing with your child is taking them to a clinic where they get poked and prodded with needles.

One of our goals when starting Aspire Allergy & Sinus was to offer the best food and environmental allergy testing experience by making it painless and easy. Here’s what you can expect from a children’s allergy test at our clinics.

Does allergy testing hurt?

No. Allergy testing does not hurt. In fact, one thing you won’t hear from patients that visit us is that the testing process was “worse than they imagined”. One of our main focuses as a clinic is that every patient is looked after diligently and cared for with the utmost respect.

I believe in the patient experience that we give it at our clinics, so I brought my 15-month-old daughter, Blake, in for food allergy testing. After seeing her have food allergy reactions and persistent eczema, I felt she needed to see an allergy expert.

The medical staff at our clinics are incredibly knowledgeable and capable for any sort of allergies that a child could be suffering from.

The allergy testing process is less than 60 seconds 

A lot of people get scared when they hear that an appointment for children takes about 60 minutes. The first thing that pops into most people’s minds is watching their child squirm and scream while our staff pokes them with a million different things for an hour!

In reality, the actual testing process itself lasts less than 60 seconds. The rest of the time is spent waiting for results, talking about the allergies your child has, and the treatment plan that works best for you and your child.  

Much of the time will be spent doing what may feel like “sitting around”. We need to give time after the testing to see if a certain allergen has a reaction, so a good amount of the time during allergy testing is waiting for for that reaction to present itself. While sitting around for an hour sounds like it could be tough to do with a child, we’ve got that covered too.

Our clinics have Wi-Fi, in-room TV, snacks, and toys for kids during the test

All of our locations have Wi-Fi available so you’ll be connected to the outside world while undergoing the testing process.

If Wi-Fi isn’t enough to occupy you and your child’s time, we have Netflix and Hulu located on TV’s in every room. Feeling hungry? We have plenty of snacks available for you and your little one while you wait. We even have coffee if you need a pick-me-up during the day.

If none of those are enough for your kiddo, we have a chest filled with coloring books, puzzles and toys to occupy their time.

Numbing cream is helpful and optional for allergy tests

One thing that we offer to all children being tested is a prescription numbing cream that reduces the itching caused by the test. This can be very helpful so the child doesn’t feel the prick of the applicator, only some pressure as the antigens are placed on their back.

The cream is optional for parents that don’t feel that it’s necessary, but it does seem to help with the process to make it easier for everyone! Don’t be worried about using too much, the more you put on the more numb your child’s back becomes.

Allergy testing results are same day and accurate, and will give you an understanding of what can be dangerous to your child

A lot of people have this preconceived notion that allergy testing is done through blood testing and results are sent back days to weeks after the appointment. While blood testing is an option, most of our tests are prick or skin tests which result in same day results.

Really the only thing that you’ll be waiting on is the body to respond to the allergens. Skin tests are usually more accurate than a blood test, and you won’t need to make another appointment to have a consult with our allergy experts.

We brought Blake in for a food allergy test because she was having reactions to foods she was eating. She also has eczema that never goes away despite trying just about every over-the-counter treatment and prescription creams. We learned from the test that she had a major allergy to peanuts and that we would need to carry an EpiPen for her and have one other school in case of emergency. I had no idea her food allergy was that bad! We also learned that with children so young, reactions can get worse over time so having the EpiPen is even more important. Thankfully, the test brought our attention to this before a life-threatening reaction occurred.  

It goes without saying how important it is for your child to be allergy tested if you’re already seeing signs of allergic reactions. At Aspire Allergy & Sinus, we provide an allergy testing experience that is safe, easy, and painless.

- Allie Thompson, CEO

Aspire Allergy & Sinus

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