Urticaria testing is one of the important steps that specialists take in their efforts to diagnose and treat hives. When hives testing is successful, the trigger of the condition can be determined and the appropriate form of treatment started. This is more desirable than dealing with chronic idiopathic hives, for which a trigger is undeterminable.
When a patient first consults an allergist/ immunologist about ongoing hives, a number of steps follow. The specialist asks the patient questions about the condition, examines the patient and then requests that, for the duration of the urticaria, the patient should keep a diary of activities, foods and drinks taken and of medications, supplements and herbs used. The diary should also indicate when the hives appear, on which body parts they appear, and how long they last. Subsequently, depending on what the specialist surmises from the consultation, he or she will order urticaria testing for the patient.
Different Approaches to Urticaria Testing
Hives testing could include blood tests to help the doctor determine the levels of specific components of the blood. X-rays may also be ordered, as well as urine tests. The doctor may order allergy skin testing. In the case of suspected vasculitis, a skin biopsy is more typical. The doctor can also order special tests to rule out health conditions like hepatitis and thyroid disease, which have been known to trigger or exacerbate hives.
For suspected food allergies, the doctor may order one of two tests. One, the elimination diet, involves the patient avoiding the food that might be responsible for triggering the hives. If the symptoms go away, only to return when the patient eats that food again, then the trigger has been identified. The test can extend from 2 weeks to 2 months.
The second possible test is the oral food allergy challenge. In this test, the patient ingests a variety of foods while the doctor observes for reactions. This is a good way to diagnose food allergies, but it comes with a risk. If the patient develops an adverse allergic reaction, then symptoms like anaphylaxis could ensue. It is for this reason that the test is carried out under a doctor’s observation.
At any given moment, a doctor’s decisions about hives testing will depend on the circumstances surrounding the hives. A patient in anaphylactic shock will require immediate evaluation to determine the trigger. A patient with mild urticaria, on the other hand, can follow the slower route described in the previous paragraphs.
