Choosing Wisely — five facts you need to know about tests for allergic reactions

Here are 5 facts you should know about common tests commonly prescribed for an allergic reaction.

By: Dr Aniruddha Malpani | | Updated: June 15, 2015 11:15 pm

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Ever visit a doctor for an ailment you thought was minor and received a long list of tests you have to go through? Well, it is possible that not all these tests are necessary for a proper diagnosis. Unnecessary tests and expensive treatments have become a major health hazard. And as a patient, it is your right to protect yourself, here is a list of steps you can take to avoid taking unnecessary tests? Also Read - Bizarre: Beware of tears and sweat if you have a water allergy

Here are five medical tests commonly prescribed for allergic reactions you need to know about (as adapted from the guidelines by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology) Also Read - Get rid of your spring allergy naturally

1. Blood tests which check for antibodies (ImmunoglobulinG (IgG) and immunoglobulin E (IgE)) are of questionable value in diagnosing the source of an allergic reaction. They just add to your cost and may even lead to inappropriate diagnosis and treatment.

2. If you develop a sudden onset of sinusitis (acute sinusitis), CT scans are of little help because the condition is caused by a viral infection which usually resolves on its own in two weeks. Antibiotics are not needed to treat uncomplicated acute sinusitis because less than two percent of acute sinusitis is caused by bacterial infections.

3. If you have chronic urticaria, also known as hives, (where an itchy rash appears for a week or more) diagnostic tests are not usually helpful as a definite cause will often not be found in most patients.

4. If you have recurrent infections, unless you do not respond to vaccines, replacement immunoglobulin therapy is of little use.

5. If you have asthma, you need to perform spirometry, which is a simple lung function (breathing) test. Doctors sometimes don’t bother to order this test, and often rely solely upon symptoms when diagnosing and managing asthma, but symptoms may be misleading. Spirometry is essential to confirm diagnosis, identifying disease severity and monitoring control, so please ask for this.

An initiative of the ABIM Foundation, Choosing Wisely is focused on encouraging physicians and patients to talk about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary, and in some instances can cause harm. The author Dr Aniruddha Malpani is an IVF specialist who is also very passionate about improving patient knowledge and patient-doctor relationships. He is a pioneer in the field of information therapy – the right information at the right time for the right person – and blogs at http://blog.drmalpani.com.

Also read Dr Malpani’s other articles on doctor-patient relationships, patient advocacy and healthcare:

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Published : July 3, 2014 12:57 pm | Updated:June 15, 2015 11:15 pm

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