Spire Regency Hospital Consultant Dermatologists, Dr Sheng Ang-Ho and Dr Melissa Hubbard, can help discover what is causing your allergic reactions by Skin Prick Testing.
Skin prick testing can be done during clinic time with results within 10 minutes
About Skin Prick Testing
Skin prick testing is an immediate test for allergies easily done within clinic time. Allergies usually present with sudden symptoms within 30 minutes of contact such as hives, swelling and anaphylaxis.
Other food related symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and tiredness are more likely to be due to intolerance rather than allergy. There is no reliable test for food intolerance although many high street unproven expensive tests are recommended on the high street. It is often useful to skin prick test to confirm or disprove allergy as the management of intolerance is very different.
Skin prick testing is painless and less traumatic for children than the alternative blood test. The results are also available in 10 minutes within the consultation allowing for immediate advice and planning whereas blood test results can take weeks.
Skin prick tesing can give solutions for air allergens, animals, milk, egg, wheat and most nuts. If a patients wishes to be tested for other foods (fruits, vegetables, soya, seafood etc.) then they will need to bring a small piece of these items with them individually wrapped with rigorous hand washing in between contacts to avoid cross contamination. Skin prick testing can test for anything you choose to bring within reason.
Antihistamines have to be stopped for one week prior to skin prick testing (except Piriton or Chlorpheniramine which needs to be stopped only 48 hours before testing).
Skin Prick testing allows for careful emergency planning for food allergies and good avoidance advice for allergic asthma and rhinitis.