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Allergy Testing
We believe you will find allergy testing an interesting and revealing experience. This is to familiarize you with the procedure.
In the testing, very small amounts of possibly allergic substances are placed under the skin on the outside surface of both upper arms with small needles. For this reason, we request that you wear either a sleeveless or short sleeve shirt so that we may have easy access to these areas. (Please note that if you have tattoos on your outer upper arms, we cannot test over them). We strive to perform the testing with a minimal amount of discomfort. However, the testing does involve anywhere from 30-50 needle pricks and takes 1-1/2 to 2 hours to complete. If you have a phobia toward needles, another type of testing can be ordered through your doctor. Depending on your individual responses to the allergens, you may experience itching, bumps, and redness that usually subsides 1 to 2 hours after the test is completed. We use a felt tip pen for labeling purposes, which we cleanse off with rubbing alcohol when we are finished testing. Benadryl® cream is applied to the tested areas to relieve itching and irritation. Depending on your history, we may test for allergies to trees, grasses, molds, and animals.
You must avoid certain medications from one month to 3 days prior to testing. These include, but are not limited to, antihistamines, cold medications, decongestants, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills. Please refer carefully to the list of medications that cannot be taken prior to allergy testing, or that are not compatible with allergy testing. If you have concerns or questions about the medications you are currently taking, please be sure to speak with your doctor about this.
We request that you contact your insurance company to verify that allergy testing is a covered benefit, and what portion of the cost is your responsibility. The CPT code used is 95024 and the diagnosis code is 477.0. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the office at (440) 352-1474 and ask to speak with one of the nurses or a medical assistant.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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