The onset of allergies can be quite deceiving. Many times, you’re confused whether you are plagued with common colds or allergic rhinitis. Hives and swelling are easily singled out, but watery eyes and a runny nose are quite common symptoms that anyone with or without allergies can manifest.

As you well know, early diagnosis and allergy relief are crucial. Mild allergies can escalate to more serious health conditions and can even claim lives. One example is the formation of hives or skin rashes which are common when you ingest food that you are allergic to. Hives then advance to angioedema, swelling that may prevent you from opening your eyes and may eventually obstruct your airways and cause suffocation.

Real-life horror stories such as these emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. While the doctor is your main point person, you can do your share to help your physician help you.

• Capitalize on full disclosure. Susceptibility to allergies may be hereditary. During your regular checkup and consultation, do not leave out family histories of asthma, angioedema, rhinitis and the like. By rule of thumb, physicians will always consider genetics first before attempting to diagnose your condition as an allergy.
• Narrate your experience. Doctors use the information you provide as the basis for diagnosis and drug prescription. Recall the first time that you noticed the allergic symptoms. Mention what you did that day, where you were and what you ate. Include the season, type, length and frequency of the attacks.
• Don’t be afraid to shoot questions. A courtesy call at the hospital is not a life sentence. Engage your doctor in a conversation. The questions you ask can steer the diagnosis to more accurate directions. Questions are also a good way to satiate your curiosity and express your concerns about specific treatments that you may be apprehensive to try.
• Take the recommended tests. Without your full cooperation on the testing stage, detailed narrations can only get you halfway through the diagnostic procedure. After a physical checkup and prior to a medical prescription, you may be required by your doctor to undergo a series of exams, including blood testing and skin testing.

In blood testing, the doctor will watch for a high eosinophil count, which is often a strong indicator of allergies. Radioallergosorbent test is an in-vitro type of blood test associated with very minimal discomfort.

In skin testing, the doctor usually pricks you with a needle mildly laced with diluted solutions. The solutions can be anything from medicines and insect venom to pollens and pet dander. The doctor then identifies your allergy based on the allergic reactions manifested on the tested skin.

In symptom diagnosis and allergy relief, cooperation is key. Both patient and doctor need to function as a team to come up with most accurate diagnosis and the most suitable remedies. After all, the ultimate benefactor of all this collaborative undertaking is not your doctor, but you.

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