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You’re all stuffed up and you can’t stop sneezing. Your symptoms haven’t gone away in weeks, so you’re pretty sure you don’t have a cold. In fact, you think you have allergies and you want to get tested, and you don’t want to have to wait for days to get the results. That’s why you should get tested at CEENTA. With just five easy steps you could be tested and get a treatment plan in just over an hour.
Before the test begins, the allergy technician will ask you some basic medical questions. These include whether you are on beta blockers, if you’ve taken an antihistamine recently, and if you are on asthma medication. These medicines can affect the results of an allergy test, so it’s important to tell the technician everything.
The allergy technician will do a skin test. This involves pricking or scratching the skin on the inside of the forearm with an applicator that puts a number of suspected allergens on your skin. Your skin is not broken, and it feels similar to having the bristles of a hairbrush pressed firmly against your arm. After about 20 minutes, any substances you are allergic to will cause your skin to raise.
Following your test, your CEENTA ENT physician will review the results. Both of you will then work together to design a treatment plan that works for you and your lifestyle. This may involve over-the-counter medicines, allergen avoidance, or immunotherapy. The doctor will also let you know if a second test is necessary.
If the results of any of the tests are negative, the technician may recommend you come back a second day to get a second test to ensure the first one was not a false negative. The allergy technician will inject a small amount of the allergen just under the skin of your upper arm. Like with the prick test, your skin will raise if you are allergic to any of these substances.
Now that you know what your allergic to, it’s time to get the relief you want.
CEENTA has offices across North and South Carolina, with extended hours in Belmont, Huntersville, and Mooresville, making premier allergy testing convenient to you. Come to one of these offices for testing and when you’re done you’ll be on your way to breathing easy again.
If you want to see for yourself what an allergy test is like, watch this video!
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your physician. To make an appointment for an allergy test, call 704-295-3000. You can also schedule an appointment online or through myCEENTAchart.
CEENTA ENT physician Matthew Sicard, MD, appeared on WSOC's The Daily Two on September 23rd, 2024 to discuss fall allergy relief in Charlotte and the surrounding areas.
Are your allergies worse at night? Learn about common allergy causes and what you can do to treat it with a CEENTA ENT specialist.
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