Question

Name the two tests generally used to diagnose allergy and describe any one of them.

Answer 1

The two tests used to diagnose allergy are :

(i) Skin prick test

(ii) In vitro IgE test

Skin prick test: When the allergens trigger an immediate response after making a contact with the skin, a skin prick test is used to detect the allergy. In this process, a drop of watery allergen solution consisting of pollen is put on different marked positions on the skin. Then the skin is pricked with a lancet so that the allergens can enter the skin. The skin will become red or a small bump appears on that marked site if the person is allergic to pollens. This test also can be done to detect food allergy.