How to Test for Mold Allergies
Mold is a common allergen that can be tested for and treated by an allergist. Mold is everywhere outdoors and indoors, so if there is an allergy that is severe, special precautions have to be made. Most mold allergies are more of an annoyance than they are life threatening.
- See your family doctor or better
yet, an allergist. They can test you to see if you are allergic to
mold and what types exactly you react to. Moreover, you can find out
the severity of the allergy and what if anything needs to be done in
order to reduce symptoms. - Have your allergist give you the
standard skin prick test. This is a common way to test for allergies
and consists of using various molds that are diluted and during the
test it is placed on the skin via a small puncture to see if there
is a reaction. If there is an allergy to any kind of allergen, after
it is injected into the skin the area will swell into a small hive. - Blood tests are sometimes needs to
further test allergies. The test used is a radioallergosorbent or
RAST. This test can measure how your immune system responds to
various types of molds. This is sometimes used in conjunction with
the skin prick test in order to make a definitive diagnosis
especially if there is more than one type of mold allergy. If the
allergy is positive and you have mold allergies, you will be
instructed how to deal with it and probably need to have your home
inspected for any signs of mold.