(248) 524-2121 
Allergy and Asthma Associates, Sterling/Troy, P.C. is dedicated to prevention and effective treatment of adult and pediatric asthma and allergies. In addition to treating asthma and allergic rhinitis, we specialize in hay fever, eczema, hives, bee sting allergies, sinus trouble, food and drug allergies, wheezing and allergy injections. The services that we perform in our office are:
A consultation consists of meeting with the doctor so that we can obtain a history pertaining to your medical condition and environment. During the consultation the doctor will inform you of any allergy testing that is recommended. Allergy testing is performed on the same day as the consultation whenever possible.
Skin testing is the most common method of allergy testing we do at our office. Prick testing involves placing a number of allergens on the back by pricking the skin with a plastic skin test device that has the sharpness of a ball point pen. After 15 minutes the physician will read the results. The Intradermal testing is the second part of the testing which consists of injecting the allergens under the skin with a small needle. Whether you receive the second part of the allergy testing is determined by the results of the prick tests. This test also has a 15-minute waiting period before it is read.
Patch testing consists of panels of allergens and other substances that come into contact with the skin causing a rash or skin irritation are placed on your back by a waterproof non-allergic medical tape. Patch testing is used for testing to chemicals, metals, adhesives. The number of allergens will be determined by the physician at the consultation and the patient will need to come back to have the patches placed since some of these panels are customized specifically to the patients needs. This testing requires the patient to come in the office on a Tuesday to have the patches placed, return on Thursday to have them removed and get the 1st reading, and then return on Friday for a final reading.
Allergy injections are a treatment option for environmental allergies: grass, trees, ragweed, cat, dog, dust mites, molds and weeds for example. Injections are given on a weekly basis until it is determined you are ready to go to every 2 weeks, then 3 weeks and then monthly. Most patients are on this program for 3-5 years or more. The goal of allergy shots is to reduce symptoms and to reduce medication use.
Venom testing is done to test for allergy to bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. This testing is done by prick skin testing which may be followed by multiple intradermal tests. Depending on the results of your venom testing, you may be a candidate for immunotherapy.
Pulmonary function testing is done in the office to help with determining the diagnosis of asthma and to follow the progress with asthma medications. This consists of blowing into a computer to measure your lung function.
Penicillin testing and challenges are scheduled only with doctor approval after a full history is obtained and typically are not done on the same day as a consultation. This is done in the office where the patient will have prick and intradermal testing to penicillin. If the penicillin skin testing is negative, this will be followed by an oral challenge to penicillin or a related antibiotic. This is followed by a 1-hour observation period. The entire appointment may last 2-3 hours. If there is reaction at any time the challenge will stop.
Food challenges are scheduled to assess whether it is safe for the patient to consume a particular food. The decision to offer a food challenge is based on the results of both skin and blood testing. In general, food challenges are only considered when blood work and skin testing suggest that the patient has a good chance of passing the challenge. The challenge is done in the office where the patient will ingest the food in small amounts incrementally. We will give you ideas and information on what to bring with you to the challenge. These appointments can last up to 4 hours if the challenge is successful and there is no reaction. If there is reaction at anytime to the food the challenge will stop. Only 1 food can be challenged in a day.
