Allergy Testing
Pain-Free Allergy Testing and Evaluation in NYC
Board Certified Allergist | Dr. Dean Mitchell M.D.
Finding the cause of your allergies is the key to staying healthier and being symptom-free.
Many people choose to simply pop a few over-the-counter allergy medications when they are fighting allergies or asthma. While these readily available over-the-counter treatments can help temporarily alleviate allergy symptoms they don’t treat the underlying allergen causing your allergies.
At Mitchell Medical Group we believe that, while they provide temporary respite, this quick and easy solution is not a proper and effective way of dealing with the problem. If you struggle with allergies, finding the underlying cause is crucial; doing so is simple with our highly sophisticated and proven tests. We identify the source of your allergies and offer a pain-free allergy treatment – allergy drops!
We Offer the Following Allergy Tests:
- Allergy blood test (our preferred method)
- BAT (basophil activation testing) – a blood test that assesses the degree of sensitivity to a food; it’s goal is to replace the need for oral food challenges
- Component testing for food allergies
- Uknow Peanut Test
When you take one of these tests with our New York City allergist, Dr. Dean Mitchell, you will not have to worry about typical allergy tests that are uncomfortable and often unreliable. Allergy testing is not as onerous as it used to be. We make testing easy and stress-free, as we carefully examine the results to determine how to most effectively treat the root of your allergy problems. Usually, within a week or two we get the results and can advise you on the specific allergens causing your symptoms.
Call 212-397-0157 to schedule your appointment or Request an Appointment online!
Schedule a telehealth new patient appointment to speak with Dr. Mitchell about the best testing option for you!
Our Approach to Allergy Evaluation and Testing
Many people fear the allergist, much like the dentist, because they believe they will experience unpleasantness and even pain. Once upon a time, it was true – a patient had to endure so many skin pricks to determine their sensitivities that many began to feel like human pincushions. No more. Testing for allergens is simpler than ever before. We prefer to do a simple blood analysis to determine your specific allergen antibodies. Today’s sophisticated blood analysis allows for precise diagnosis with only one blood draw.
How We Diagnose Allergies
- Allergy test – preferably a blood test
- Conversation including the careful medical history of the patient
- Physical examination
One of the most advanced tools we use to properly diagnose allergies is extremely low-tech – conversation.
Our allergic evaluation begins with a careful history performed by Dr. Mitchell who notes the specifics about your symptoms to determine if an allergic cause is likely. Many of the questions will pertain to your current symptoms but there will also be questions that seem unrelated but are equally important. We like to equate it to playing Sherlock Holmes as the clue that often solves the case may appear in an unexpected place.
Are Blood Tests as Accurate as Skin Tests?
All of the recent research indicates both types of testing are now highly accurate – close to 90%. Since the two are equally reliable and accurate, Dr. Mitchell favors the blood test for allergies because it has two advantages – safely and standardizations.
Advantages of Blood Tests Compared to Skin Tests?
- Safety: Since you are not introducing the allergic substance into the body there is no risk of an allergic reaction caused by the test.
- Standardization: Blood tests are standardized which means the lab uses controls to make sure the test is accurate. Skin testing can vary depending upon the device used and the practitioner performing and interpreting the test.
- Not Affected by Medications: Blood tests are not affected by medications such as antihistamines. With skin tests, you must discontinue use of all antihistamines for a minimum of forty-eight hours before testing. This can be a challenge if you in the middle of experiencing bad allergy symptoms and don’t want to stop your medicine.
Although the new blood tests are wonderful tools and have truly taken allergy testing into the twenty-first century, there are times when the results are not fully classifiable and, in those cases, Dr. Mitchell will do a skin test to support or rule out the allergen as significant.
Comprehensive Allergy Tests and Treatments
We offer state of the art allergy evaluation, painless allergy testing and treatments using sublingual allergy drops. Our board-certified allergists provide testing and treatments for:
- seasonal allergies (including allergies to pollen, grass and trees)
- chemical allergies
- food allergies including peanut, dairy, egg and shellfish allergies
- drug or medication allergies
- environmental allergies
- mold allergies
- animal and pet allergies
- skin allergies
- insect allergies and bites
- venom allergies
Our experienced allergists have specialized training and expertise in managing patients with a wide variety of allergic conditions. When you see our allergy doctors, they will help you identify causes, triggers and develop a treatment plan specific to your individual needs. The goal is for you to have an excellent quality of life while being as allergy symptom-free as possible.
Testing for Peanut Allergies
At Mitchell Medical Group, we use resolved component testing (aka the UKnow Peanut Test), a technique developed by PIRL laboratory in Michigan to test for peanut allergies. This test allows for a more precise way to test for the allergy. The UKnow Peanut Test is a blood test, as opposed to a skin test, that isolates specific proteins in the peanut in order to find out which proteins are dangerous for a person to have and which are most likely cross-reactions to another allergen protein, such as pollen.
Schedule Your Allergy Test
Our goal is to prevent future attacks from occurring in the first place. Call our NYC office at 212-397-0157 or call our Long Island office at 516-678-9600 to schedule your next allergy test and treatment. You can also Request an Appointment online by submitting our form.