Diagnostic Procedures for Allergy in Children

Diagnostic tests for allergy may include any/all of the following:

• Skin tests
  The skin test is a very accurate test that measures your child's level of IgE antibodies in response to certain allergens or triggers. Using small amounts of solutions that contain different allergens, your child's physician will either inject under the skin or apply the allergens with a small scratch. A reaction would appear as a small red area. A reaction to the skin test does not always mean your child is allergic to the allergen that caused the reaction. This will be determined by your child's physician.
  
  Skin testing may not be performed on children who have had a severe life-threatening reaction to an allergen or have severe dry skin (eczema).

• Blood tests
  Blood tests for allergies measure IgE antibodies to specific allergens in the blood. The blood test most commonly used is called RAST (radioallergosorbent test). Blood tests may be used when skin tests cannot be performed. As with skin testing, it is important to remember that a positive blood test does not always mean your child is allergic to that allergen.

• Challenge test
  A test supervised by an allergist who administers a very small amount of an allergen that is inhaled or taken orally.

• Nasal smears
  Nasal smears are tests performed to check the amount of eosinophils in the nose. An eosinophil is a type of white blood cell that increases in number during an allergic reaction.