Patient Information :.

Modern allergy tests make life a lot easier.

Allergy symptoms are responsible for more visits to the doctor’s office than any other single disease in this country. Over 40 million Americans (about 1 in 5) suffer from one or more of the allergic diseases. Allergies are considered a leading cause of school and work absenteeism, too. Fortunately, your doctor has a wide range of innovative testing and treatment techniques to make dealing with allergies a lot easier than before.

Early allergy discoveries.

Allergy as a recognizable illness is nearly as old as the history of modern man. However, it was not until 1966 that the exact mechanism for the disease was discovered. Researchers found that some people produce a "skin sensitizing antibody" called IgE (for Immunoglobulin E).

Allergic patients inherit the tendency to produce an overabundance of IgE when exposed to allergens such as dust, ragweed and grass pollens. To learn more about allergies, click here.