Allergies - Diagnosis

Diagnosis of allergies usually occurs in two steps. First, a doctor takes a medical history of the patient. He or she tries to find some connection between an allergic reaction and a particular allergen, such as a specific food or insect bite.

Second, direct tests can be carried out to discover the allergens to which a patient might be sensitive. In skin patch tests, for example, small amounts of many different allergens are placed directly on a person's skin. Any reaction that occurs to an allergen indicates that the person is allergic to that allergen.