Testing

What to Expect During a Consultation

When you meet with Dr. Brauer, she will obtain a thorough medical history, perform an examination, and evaluate your symptoms. She will schedule allergy skin tests, lung volume (spirometry) tests, or will arrange for blood tests to pinpoint your exact sensitivities.

You can expect to meet with Dr. Brauer herself and she will be sure to answer any questions you might have. Bluegrass Family Allergy is a physician-driven practice, which means that Dr. Brauer knows every patient personally and seeks to implement a superior standard of care for which she takes a sense of ownership. Dr. Brauer will always be involved in personalizing your treatment plan and tailoring it to your needs. Dr. Brauer is working diligently to maintain the compassion and thorough care as we seek to help more Western Kentucky families.

The following medications should be stopped prior to your appointment as they can affect the results of your test.

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Allergy Skin Testing

An allergy skin test is a no-pain, no-shots procedure. The test is performed by slightly pressing a small amount of allergen on the skin of the arm or the back using a plastic device that scratches the skin. We utilize the newest devices optimized to minimize discomfort. Between 20-60 indoor and outdoor allergens and foods can be tested for using this method. If you have an allergy to that particular allergen, the skin where the test was placed will become slightly red, itchy, or raised. It takes only a few minutes to place the allergens on the skin, fifteen minutes for the results to develop, and results are available right away. Overall, it is a quick, easy process with minimal discomfort. Most of your visit is spent talking with Dr. Brauer and her staff about your results immediately after testing and formulating a treatment plan.

Lung Volume (Spirometry) Testing

Spirometry measures how much air you breathe in and out and how fast you blow it out. This test helps Dr. Brauer determine if you have asthma or if certain asthma medications are working appropriately for you. The test occurs in two phases and can take around thirty minutes overall. Often, we are able to combine the two types of tests to expedite your visit. This test is >90% sensitive in detecting asthma, and as such, we can rule out asthma and simultaneously ‘rule-in’ asthma. Dr. Brauer prefers to assign this diagnosis when possible by evaluating the numbers rather than diagnosing based on symptoms alone. As a mother she is always hesitant to “label” a child as having asthma until she has to do so. We often have three and four year olds able to perform the test which involves a computer screen. Kids love video games and this one they play with their lungs!