Your doctor will ask about your history of symptoms and examine you.

You may have tests to find out which allergens are causing your symptoms. For most people the best tests are skin scratch or prick tests. For these tests your doctor looks for reactions to tiny amounts of suspected allergens placed under your skin. In some cases you may have blood tests to help find what you are allergic to.

To identify a food allergy, your doctor may suggest that you try to find which foods cause a reaction by not eating certain foods for a while. Then you can carefully try eating these foods again, one by one, to see if your symptoms come back.

Mild symptoms may not need treatment. Or, depending on the type of allergy you have and your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe decongestants and antihistamines (Claritin, Benadryl, Zyrtec, Allegra), steroid medicine, or other types of inhaled medicines to prevent breathing problems.

In some cases, your doctor may suggest allergy shots. A mixture is prepared that contains the allergens identified in your allergy tests. The mixture is injected into your skin in tiny but increasing amounts over the course of many months. Over time, the shots make you less sensitive to the allergens. Usually after 4 to 6 months of allergy shots you will begin to have relief from your allergies. However, you will probably need to continue the shots for 2 to 3 years or longer.

If you have severe allergies, your doctor may prescribe an emergency kit for you to carry with you at all times. Examples of brand names for these kits are EpiPen and Ana-Kit. These kits contain a ready-to-use syringe of a medicine called epinephrine. If you have a severe allergic reaction, someone with you can give you a shot of this medicine to counteract the allergy symptoms until you get medical care. These kits are not intended as the sole treatment of an allergic reaction. Rather, they "buy" time to get to treatment.

If you have a severe allergic reaction, call 911 right away. Use an EpiPen or Ana-Kit if you have one. Once you know that you have a severe allergy, always carry an Epi-pen or Ana-Kit. Teach family members and coworkers how to help you if you have a severe reaction.