Allergies - General

Medical History and examination are the first part of any diagnostic work-up. Your physician will not only ask questions about your medical history, but your parents as well, based on the genetic component of asthma. If you or anyone in your family has had any allergies, or eczema, this will be a critical clue to your physician in diagnosing asthma. The physical examination will pay particular attention to your upper and lower respiratory system (e.g. nose, ears, throat, lungs). The patient needs to be very specific about asthma symptoms they have experienced, how often, and if in association with any particular trigger (NOTE: Having an asthma diary to note specifics will be important after your diagnosis, as well as before, to monitor the effectiveness of treatment).

You may know what causes certain of your allergic reactions, but there may be other allergies or sensitivities you have that you are unaware of.

Self Testing

Here's how you can catch a few of the hidden allergens you may be reacting to.

Skin tests to analyze a response to various substances include: scratch, puncture, prick and intradermal. (False-positive or a false-negative skin tests are possible.) Other tests, including the RAST and other blood tests may be given to diagnose allergies. If you have asthma, you are also likely to have allergies.