Why might I need allergy testing?

Your doctor might refer you to Advanced Imaging for testing if you have symptoms that an allergy could cause. These symptoms might include:

Persistent cough

Coughs result from irritation in your airway. It’s normal to have a cough with a respiratory infection like a cold, and sometimes a cough can last for a week or two after your other symptoms improve. However, if your cough lasts for eight weeks or more, there could be an underlying cause, such as an allergy.

Difficulty breathing

Breathing difficulties or shortness of breath might be due to allergies or allergic asthma.

Postnasal drip and chronic congestion

Postnasal drip is a constant trickle of mucus down your throat. Chronic congestion is where your nasal passages are continually blocked, so you struggle to breathe through your nose.

Your Advanced Imaging provider uses sophisticated diagnostic imaging to assess your sinuses, airway, and lungs to determine the cause of your symptoms.

What does allergy testing involve?

If your doctor thinks you could have an allergy, they may start by doing skin prick tests. These are simple in-office tests where your doctor makes a tiny scratch in your skin and applies a small quantity of a potential allergen. If your skin reacts to the substance, it indicates a possible allergy.

However, these tests can sometimes be inconclusive, or you could get a false positive (where the tests indicate an allergy to a substance you’re not allergic to). If skin prick tests don’t provide precise results or treating the allergy symptoms doesn’t improve your condition, your doctor might suggest further investigations.

Advanced Imaging uses digital X-ray and computed tomography (CT) technology to create images that help your doctor make a positive diagnosis.

What might allergy testing show?

Allergy testing can reveal whether symptoms appearing to be allergy-related are due to allergies or a different problem.

Diagnostic imaging allergy tests often reveal a different cause for your symptoms. For example, you could have a condition such as chronic bronchitis, a sinus infection, or asthma.

Using the detailed pictures Advanced Imaging produces, your doctor can identify specific abnormalities that confirm which condition you have. You can then receive the appropriate treatment for your allergy or other respiratory disorder.

Call Advanced Imaging today to learn more about the allergy testing services offered, or book an appointment using the online scheduling tool.