An allergy test is used to help identify a substance – an allergen – that may trigger an allergic reaction. The main forms of allergy tests are skin, elimination and blood tests. Skin tests generally involve applying or injecting a small amount of a suspected allergen to the skin and observing the response. An elimination test is a diet that removes suspected allergy-causing food from the diet and reintroduces each one gradually over time to measure any reaction. An elimination test may also involve offering a food to be tested and a harmless substance in the same session. A blood test involves the taking of a blood sample and then analyzing it for the presence of specific antibodies that would indicate an allergy.

Read the patient stories below for information and advice about allergy tests. Learn about common concerns, including accuracy, side effects, what to expect during the test, and results.