Allergies are highly common, affecting one in three adult Americans and one in four children according to the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. Because children spend a lot of time outdoors and in school, they are more susceptible to allergy triggers. You can have your child tested for allergies and explore treatment options at Child & Adolescent Health Services serving Cohasset, MA.

Types of Allergy Testing for Children

It’s ideal to have your child tested for allergies early so that you can anticipate and manage possible problems in the future. There are two main ways that a doctor can test for allergies:

• Prick or scratch test (for diagnosing allergies that cause skin irritations, hay fever, and reactions from consuming certain foods).
• Blood test (more reliable for determining that a patient has a general predisposition to allergies or for an allergen that can’t be administered during a skin test).

Getting an Allergy Test

With a blood test, an elevated level of IgE antibodies in the system may indicate that the child has allergies. A sample of the child’s blood will be taken and sent to a laboratory for analysis. For a prick test, small amounts of common allergens (like nuts, pollen, or dander) are introduced to the skin to see if they cause a reaction. Each prick of the skin has a label so that your doctor can identify the child's specific allergy. A scratch test is similar but tests a deeper level of the skin for better results.

Treatments for Allergies in Children

If your Cohasset, MA, pediatrician determines from the test that your child has one or more allergies, several treatments are possible. They include:

• Antihistamine medications, which calm down allergy symptoms.
• Steroid sprays.
• Adrenaline injection shots.
• Immunotherapy (shots over a series of appointments to train the immune system to react more normally to the allergen).
• Active avoidance of the allergen and ensuring that everyone the child comes in contact with is aware of the issue.

Schedule Allergy Testing for Your Child Today

A pediatrician at Child & Adolescent Health Specialists serving Cohasset, MA, can test your child for allergies and provide the right treatments. Call (781) 383-8380 today to schedule a visit for allergy testing.