When you do not have any food allergies but your nose and throat seem to be regularly irritated by something, you want answers. It does not appear to be a cold since colds will usually go away, and you would definitely know that you have a sinus infection if you had one. If your regular doctor is not sure what the issue is, he or she may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist for further testing. If you do eventually have an indoor or outdoor allergy, here is how the ENT specialist would arrive at that diagnosis.

Using a Scope to Check for Signs of Irritation

If the problem is isolated in just your nose or just your throat, the ENT would only see signs of irritation in one of these areas. It could indicate an infection and not an allergy, which is why the ENT might move on to using a scope to look for other signs of irritation. For example, a scope inserted into a nostril and sent down the back of your throat, and then sent down the nostril on the opposite side to look for irritation. If both sides of the nose are inflamed and swollen and there are signs leading all the way back and down in the throat that something is irritating these tissues, you may have an allergy.

Performing a Scratch Test for Allergies

The next step, after viewing your nostrils, nasal passages, and throat, is to do a scratch test. This is usually performed on your back, close to your nerves, where the sensitivity to certain allergens is most easily detected. The ENT will perform a series of light scratches for up to twenty of the most common allergens, including dust, pollen, pet dander, and dust mites. If any of the scratches immediately flare up red, that tells the ENT that you are allergic to that particular allergen. The ENT will wait, on average, around twenty minutes or so to see which scratches produce a reaction. Then he/she will know exactly what causes your upper respiratory reactions to the allergens tested.

If You Have a Very Violent Reaction...

If the ENT notices that you have a very immediate and violent reaction to an allergen, pet dander for example, and you are unable to breathe, you are in a good place to be treated. The ENT's nurses will have an Epinephrine injection ready just in case you have a reaction. That injection will be given to you if needed, and then the testing will be over because the EpiPen will null and void any and all other allergen scratch tests for the day.

For more information, contact an ENT clinic, such as Mid America Ear, Nose, & Throat Clinic PC.

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