People with minor allergies usually only need a physical exam. However, your doctor may recommend specific tests to help determine the best treatment and preventive measures.
A skin prick test is one of the most commonly used tests. During this test, your doctor places a variety of substances onto your skin to see how your body reacts to each one. Usually, a small red bump appears if you’re allergic to a substance.
Another common allergy test is a blood test, sometimes referred to as a radioallergosorbent test (RAST). The RAST measures the amount of immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies to particular allergens that are present in your blood.
Allergic rhinitis can be either seasonal or perennial, which means they last all year.