Do I have Spring allergies?

What will doctors do to see if you have spring allergies?

• I have allergies in the spring like to pollen (well i think i do). My mom is taking me to the doctors to see if i should take any medicine. Do you think they will take blood? I Absolutely hate when they take blood because it hurts so badly. I am not even sure i have allergies. If they don't take blood then what will they do?

• Answer:

  Kinda depends on what kind of doctor you go see about your allergies. If you're going to your primary care physician, you'll most likely just get a prescription to take care of symptoms. If you go to a doctor that specializes in allergies, they will most likely do a skin test and blood work. There are scratch tests, usually done on the back, and then there are subdermal skin tests that are a lot like a TB test(a very small needle goes just below the dermis of the skin, when the allergen is injected it forms a small bleb, or something like a little bubble below the surface). Then after a certain amount of time, they measure the reaction your skin had to the different allergens(they usually resemble a hive if you have a positive reaction). After they determine what allergies you have, you will most likely be given a list of things/foods to avoid and be offered regular allergy shots, and some places now even offer sublingual drops (drops that go under your tongue) instead of regular injections. Try not to worry about the blood draws. If you psych yourself up that it's going to be an awful experience, it probably will be. There are many skilled people out there that are able to get a blood sample with very little pain. And if you happen to get someone who's not so great at them...it will only last a few seconds, and then it's over!!! Seems like a small price to pay to find out what your allergic to and get it taken care of!!! :) God Bless...