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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can a skin prick test diagnose the cause of my eczema?

    Related Topics
    Allergy Dermatology Eczema
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    Peta Adams

    Dietitian

    I am an Accredited Practising Dietitian locally born and working within the Riverina.I have a passion for helping people to achieve their nutrition goals, coaching … View Profile

    No skin prick tests (SPT's) are not a diagnostic tool for eczema as someone can have a positive SPT however not actually respond to the food/allergen. 

    The cause of eczea is multifaceted with many aspects affecting its severity the environment, diet hormones and stress can all affect it and minimiasing the exposure to these offending conditions all help to control eczema.

    I would recommende speaking to your GP or visiting ACSIA website 
    http://www.allergy.org.au/patients/skin-allergy/eczema for more information.

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    Prof Ron Walls

    Pathologist (Immunologist)

    The important thing to understand about eczema is that there is no one single cause, and allergies can certainly contribute. A skin test can be very helpful to identify whether a specific allergen is contributing to the eczema.

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    Lucinda Curran

    Acupuncturist

    Lucinda Curran of Eco Health Solutions offers a truly holistic approach to health by combining Building Biology and Chinese Medicine. Her work is solutions-focussed and … View Profile

    Hi,

    I would also look for causes within your environment, of which skin prick tests may or may not show up sensitivities.

    Some things you can do:

    • Change personal care products to ones that are chemical-free,
    • use unscented laundry products,
    • avoid using perfumes and fragranced products, and
    • find out if there is mould in your home.
    There can be a multitude of other contributing factors, but these are ones I would look at first based on what you have said.

    I hope this helps.

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