What is the purpose of testing for urticaria?
The purpose is to check whether cold, heat, or maybe pressure causes your urticaria.
How is the testing performed?
When testing for urticaria, we check how cold/heat and possibly pressure affects your skin.
Heat/Cold:
Your arm is placed on a plate, which warms one side of your arm and cools the other side of your arm for 5 minutes.
This allows us to measure the effects of cold, respectively, heat in the range from 4° to 44° Celsius.
Then, we observe you to see if pruritus (itching) or nettles (wheals) emerge. The test results are ready after 10 minutes.
Pressure:
A leather strap with 10kg weights is placed on one of your thighs.
Then, we observe you to see if pruritus (itching) or nettles (wheals) emerge. The test results are ready after 30 minutes.
Preparing for the test
Avoid taking antihistamines (antipruritic drugs) three days prior to your test appointment.
Please contact us for further details if you cannot go without your antihistamines.
If you within the last 14 days prior to the test has been treated with prednisone, as tablets or injection, we ask you to inform us prior to the test
After the testing
The test session lasts for 20-45 minutes and is followed by an exploratory talk with your physician.
Please note that it can take up to six hours before your body reacts to the pressure test. If you observe a rash, nettles, or something else at the test site, please take a photo and contact us.
Meeting point
Upon arrival, please report to the dermatology clinic (Hudsygdomme, klinik 1)
Gentofte Hospitalsvej 15, ground floor. The actual testing is performed at the allergy testing clinic (Kontaktallergi, klinik 1) Gentofte Hospitalsvej 15, 2nd floor.
Scheduled clinic appointments
Urticaria testing:
Explanatory talk: