Allergy Testing & Immunotherapy

What causes allergies?

You experience allergic symptoms when your body thinks a substance is harmful, even though that isn’t always the case. Your body reacts to this allergen by kickstarting your immune system. Your immune response tries to combat the allergen in a number of ways that you experience as allergies.

Allergies are challenging. There are a number of substances that can cause allergic reactions, so finding out which is triggering you can be tricky. Fortunately, Dr. Beck and his team at Life Point Medical, LLC has specialized testing designed to do exactly that.

How do I know if I have allergies?

Your body’s immune response to allergens can include:

• Itchy, dry, or watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Itchy or dry throat, mouth, or ears
• Sinus pressure or congestion
• Postnasal drip
• Trouble sleeping, including snoring
• Frequent colds
• Recurring cough
• Breathing problems, including asthma
• Skin problems, including rashes, hives, or eczema
• Stomach problems after eating certain foods

If these symptoms sound familiar, an allergy test can determine what’s causing your allergies. This can be especially helpful if your allergies crop up seasonally, you have a family history of allergies, or you use an albuterol inhaler.

Once Dr. Beck knows what’s triggering your body’s allergic response, he can help you minimize your allergic symptoms with personalized immunotherapy.

How do allergy testing and immunotherapy work?

Dr. Beck uses skin scratch testing to determine what causes an allergic reaction in your body. The skin scratch procedure tests for 20 food allergens plus the top 50 local airborne and mold allergens, including:

• Dust mites
• Pollen from weeds, trees, and grasses
• Cockroach
• Pet dander

During your scratch test, you lay comfortably on your stomach while Dr. Beck gently pricks the skin on your back, exposing you to a small amount of a specified allergen at each prick point. Your skin’s reaction shows whether or not that allergen affects you.

Once Dr. Beck knows what causes your allergies, he creates individualized immunotherapy to help you feel your best. Immunotherapy involves exposing you to the allergen and increasing the amount of exposure to the allergen over time so your immune system can develop less sensitivity to it.

Most major insurance providers cover allergy testing. And to ensure you have the coverage you need, the team at Life Point Medical, LLC will pre-certify your test to confirm the amount you’ll owe (if anything) before the test.

You don’t have to live with allergies. Call Life Point Medical, LLC or book your appointment online to get started with your allergy testing and immunotherapy.

Phone: 706-782-0016

Fax: 706-782-0180