Allergies cannot be cured, so taking medication to control the symptoms is the primary treatment method. An even better approach, though, is knowing the cause of the allergies so you can avoid contact with the trigger. It doesn’t matter what kind of symptoms the allergies cause—it may be irritation of the nose, skin, or eyes or it may be asthma or gastrointestinal problems. Even if you just suspect you may have an allergy, the cause can be determined by skin tests. Skin tests are the standard test used for allergies, in which the skin is exposed to several suspected allergens via a prick in order to see whether a reaction occurs. However, an additional way to test for allergies is via a blood test.

Blood Tests for Allergies using allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) give results just as accurate as skin testing methods. Blood tests can identify allergies to food, such as seafood, or to insect bites or stings. It is even possible to select packages of tests or choose specific allergens you’re interested in.