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Allergy Testing & Treatment
There are several ways to test individuals for allergies. No one test is infallible in every case because human beings differ widely in their reactions. However, the experience of thousands of physicians, in ear, nose and throat, and many other specialties, indicates that of all skin test varieties one form gives superior results in the majority of patients. That test procedure is called serial Dilution Antigen Endpoint Titration, often shortened to Serial Dilution or just plain Titration. When your doctor or nurse speaks of “titrating” you, it means you will be tested according to this standard medical procedure. First, your doctor will advise you to refrain from taking certain medicines for a minimum time period before the titration is to be done. This is very important and your cooperation is essential. Many medications will throw the test results so far off that they will be useless and have to be done over.
After waiting approximately ten minutes, the test administrator will examine each injection bump, which is called a wheal. These are carefully measured in diameter and the results are recorded in millimeters. Certain larger wheals are the indication of an allergy to the substance injected. The size of the wheal helps your doctor determine how sensitive you are to that allergen. In fact the shots you will be given to treat your allergies will be measured out according to these test results. The test is called a serial dilution antigen endpoint titration because the test wheals are precisely measured, graduated does of allergy-causing substance, diluted according to strict mathematical ratios.
The titration method has several advantages over other test procedures. For one thing, it gives fewer false results; it is less likely to give a positive sign when you really don’t have an allergy to a particular antigen. For another, it gives more precise results, which are measured in useful numbers as a guide to how sensitive you are to each antigen. And no less valuable is the fact that titration testing, as well as the treatment it indicates, can be done during the season when your allergies give you the most trouble. You don’t have to wait for an out-of-season “quiet” spell to get started on the way to relief. Titration testing or “serial dilution” as your doctor may call it, is a proven procedure used by thousands of America’s allergists. This technique is receiving wider recognition among physicians, and it is the subject of intensive research conducted in clinics, hospitals, and university medical schools, to refine and improve this valuable medical tool. As such, it is the most up-to-date skin allergy test method known, the most accurate, and the one most likely to enable your doctor to provide you with relief from your allergies in the shortest period of time. Helpful Links
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A detailed patient examination and history is the beginning of an effective allergy treatment program.
Second, you need not fear any pain from the titration. A series of small injections, using very fine needles, is made in rows on your arms. Only a small amount of the test substance (called the antigen) is injected. The result is a series of bumps which look like small mosquito bites.
In a few instances, some upset in your own system – perhaps exposure to a strong allergen, or something you have eaten – will produce erratic test results and require retesting. But in most cases, the titration for a given allergen is accomplished in one visit, enabling your treatment to start at once. The object is to give you at least a measure of relief from your allergies, as quickly as possible.