If you're dealing with minor allergies and your doctor recommends allergy testing, you may initially wonder whether this testing is really essential. Your symptoms are mild, after all. Isn't allergy testing just for those with more serious and life-threatening allergies? Not necessarily. If your allergies are mild, getting tested is not such an urgent matter, but it is still something you really should do. Here's why.
Your allergies could get worse at any time.
Allergies can change throughout a person's lifetime. You might be mildly allergic to a certain substance right now, but that doesn't mean that tomorrow, your allergy won't become more severe. You don't want to still be wondering what it is that you're allergic to the first time you have a more serious or life-threatening reaction. It is far wiser to figure out what you're allergic to now, when your symptoms are not that severe, so that you can avoid that allergen going forward. This will help you avoid a more serious and potentially life-threatening reaction.
Taking allergy medications constantly isn't always a good idea.
You may figure you'll just skip the allergy test and take allergy medications whenever your symptoms flare-up. But while allergy medications can be quite effective, taking them repeatedly, again and again, is not always the best choice. You may end up with some side effects, such as fatigue or nausea. If you instead go through allergy testing, then you'll know what you are allergic to. You can then take steps to avoid the allergen so you don't have to take medications as often. Not only is this better for your body, but it can also be more affordable since allergy medications can be quite costly.
You might be allergic to other things.
Most allergy tests are conducted with a wide assortment of allergens. As such, you will have a chance to find out whether you're allergic to other substances you may not realize you're allergic to. You may, for example, find out you're not only allergic to the ragweed you suspected you're allergic to, but also to a certain type of flower. This gives you a chance to avoid these other allergens that you may have otherwise encountered and reacted to.
If you have allergies of any severity, it is almost always a good choice to undergo allergen testing. Doing so will help you avoid your allergens and minimize your use of medications. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
