Identify the triggers behind your symptoms with allergy testing. Dr. Ryan E. Stern, MD, our board-certified ENT, offers allergy testing to identify your triggers and guide a personalized treatment plan to help you breathe and feel better.
Identify What Triggers Your Allergy Symptoms
Allergy testing helps identify what substances trigger your symptoms. During testing, small amounts of allergens, such as pollen, dust, or environmental irritants, are introduced to your skin to observe how your immune system responds. This allows Dr. Stern to pinpoint the root cause of your congestion, sneezing, sinus pressure, or chronic drainage. By identifying your triggers, allergy testing guides a more targeted treatment plan, helping you avoid guesswork and focus on long-term relief rather than temporary symptom control.
What Does Allergy Testing Identify?
Allergy testing helps determine which specific substances are triggering your symptoms and driving ongoing inflammation in your nose and sinuses. By observing how your immune system reacts to controlled exposures, testing reveals whether everyday environmental allergens are behind chronic congestion, sneezing, nasal drainage, sinus pressure, or itchy, watery eyes.
Once testing is complete, the results often point to one or more of the following triggers:
- Seasonal pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds
- Indoor dust and dust mites
- Mold spores in indoor or outdoor environments
- Animal dander from household pets
- Other common environmental allergens
Key Benefits of Allergy Testing
Allergy testing provides clear answers when symptoms persist or are hard to pinpoint, helping guide more effective, personalized care. By identifying your specific triggers, testing supports a smarter approach to long-term relief rather than temporary symptom management.
- Confirms which allergens are causing your symptoms
- Eliminates guesswork when choosing treatment options
- Supports more personalized allergy and sinus care
- Helps reduce unnecessary medications
- Improves daily comfort and overall quality of life
Your Allergy Testing Experience
Your allergy testing experience begins with a consultation with Dr. Stern, during which your symptoms, medical history, and daily environment are carefully reviewed. He takes the time to understand how long you’ve been struggling, what triggers you suspect, and which treatments you’ve already tried. From there, he determines whether allergy testing is right and selects the most effective testing methods based on your age, symptoms, and overall health.
Scratch test
During a scratch test, small amounts of common allergens are placed on your skin, usually along your arm or back. A tiny, shallow scratch allows each allergen to come into contact with the surface layer of your skin. You wait while Dr. Stern observes how your skin reacts, noting any redness or swelling that may signal an allergic reaction. Because multiple allergens can be tested at once, this method efficiently identifies several potential triggers in a single visit.
Patch test
If delayed allergic reactions are suspected, Dr. Stern may recommend a patch test. During this test, adhesive patches containing specific allergens are placed on your skin and worn for 48 hours. During this time, you can go about your normal routine while the skin’s response develops. When the patches are removed, Dr. Stern evaluates the area to identify reactions that wouldn’t appear during same-day testing.
Injection test
For certain allergens, an injection test may provide more precise results. This involves injecting a very small amount of allergen just beneath the skin’s surface. Because the allergen reaches a slightly deeper layer, any reactions can be more clearly observed. Dr. Stern monitors your response to safely identify sensitivities that may not show up with surface-based testing alone.
Why Choose Dr. Stern?
Dr. Ryan E. Stern is a board-certified ENT and subspecialty-trained rhinologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience caring for patients with allergy, nasal, and sinus concerns. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Stern has served the Pacific Northwest with a patient-first approach, taking time to listen, explain results clearly, and never rush decisions. You’re treated like family, with care plans built around your specific symptoms and goals. Schedule an allergy testing consultation in Auburn or Federal Way, WA, to get clear answers.
