Slievemore Clinic, Old Dublin Road
Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
Contact details
Contact details
There is more to solving your problem than performing an allergy test. Below is a summary of what may happen during a standard consultation.
how did that rash or runny nose or wheeze or whatever, start? What makes it worse.or better? What treatments have you been offered or tried? Did they work?
the itchy rash that has you scratching day and night may be linked to the blocked and stuffy nose you've noticed recently. Your child's asthma may be triggered by that 'head cold' she gets every month.
we may use fiberoptics to photograph the inside of nose and sinuses, even areas at the back of the throat, right down to the tonsils and vocal cords. This allows you, the patient, hold on to the 'before' image and compare it with the 'after' picture showing the improvement that you feel. This is especially helpful for parents as it helps them understand what is wrong with their child, how it's managed and how successful any treatment strategy has been. This is achieved with an Olympus ENF Type V2 fiberscope connected to a camera source.
Allergy Testing Kit
we use only approved extracts. All allergy material is imported direct from Hollister-Stier (USA: www.hollister-stier.com), one of the largest allergy manufacturing companies in the world. The FDA (US Food & Drugs Administration) clears each product before use in medical practice. This is your guarantee of safety, sterility and accuracy. We also source allergy-testing material from Stallergenes (www.stallergenes.com) a French pharmaceutical company.
Reaction due to allergy test
common inhaled allergy substances such as dust mite, grass pollens, dog hair, cat hair, and horsehair even rabbit hair. We also test for a wide range of foods (N.B. if there is a specific food you believe you or your child has reacted to please let us know in advance. Sometimes we use fresh food rather than test extract.)
over and above telling you what (or what not) you are allergic to we try and help you understand the link between the test result and your problem. This is of particular importance when nothing shows on testing. Not every rash, headache, joint pain, runny nose or cough is due to allergy.
most patients cannot remember more than about 20% of conversation during a medical consultation. To help you recall the most important points we provide information leaflets that explain test results and what therapy has been recommended.
A negative test is as important as a positive one. A negative result allows the treating doctor choose an appropriate management course for your condition.
At the end of the consultation you will be given results and advised how to use the information. Treatments may be offered, including dietary change. If you have had some type of fiberoptic assessment colour images will be provided to support the diagnosis and treatment. Fact sheets to help with therapy are available. Where possible we will ask our in-house dietician/nutritionist Nuala Collins to supervise any special diets. Nuala is a member of the Nutrition and Dietetic Institute of Ireland (MINDI), the professional body of Dieticians and Nutritionists in Ireland
N.B. : Before attending for an allergy test you must NOT have taken tablets or liquid of anti-histamine medicines (please note, these are put into many cough bottles). Ideally you should not be using steroid tablets. Anti-histamines block the allergy reaction and could give false results. While steroids are less of a problem we prefer not to test while taking steroids by mouth. Anti-histamine and steroid creams are also potentially troublesome for the same reason. If you have any doubt about medications please check in advance. The following treatments are fine: asthma inhalers and nose sprays (no matter what is in them); eye or eardrops; the drugs Singulair or Accolate; antibiotics; tablets and liquid of drugs called Theophylline. Some simple paediatric preparations such as Dozol and Teedex contain antihistamine and cannot be used before any visit. Also, anti-depressants block allergy tests so I would advise against making an appointment if you are on anti-depressants unless it's for a fiberoptic naso-endoscopy check only.