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Sonora Quest Offers High-Sensitivity Allergy Tests Amidst Arizona’s Blooming Spring

Thursday, April 13, 2023   |   Category: Press Releases

PHOENIX (April 13, 2023) -- Sonora Quest Laboratories, Arizona’s leading diagnostic laboratory, offers two high-sensitivity environmental allergy tests that provide critical insights to patients. 

Arizona’s wet winter and early spring brought more rain to the Valley than usual, leading to profuse spring growth of trees, weeds, and other allergy-inducing plants. Still, the source of patient symptoms may be viral, bacterial, or allergic, making the correct diagnosis an essential step in determining appropriate treatment. 

Patients presenting with itchy, watery eyes and nasal symptoms can be tested effectively through Sonora Quest’s Allergy Screens – Inhalants and the Arizona Desert and Mountain Panel test offerings. These tests accurately determine if patients are allergic and what exactly they are allergic to. 

The Allergy Screen – Inhalants test is available without a health care provider’s order through Sonora Quest’s My Lab ReQuest and identifies which common allergens (trees, grass, weeds) patients should avoid. The Arizona Desert and Mountain Panel, only available with a health care provider order, offers further precision, evaluating specific allergens unique to Arizona’s climate. 

The two tests boast high sensitivity through the ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE Blood Test, which provides an objective measurement of the circulating allergen-specific antibodies that appear because of exposure and reaction to an allergen.  

“These allergy tests were first designed at the request of our patients to help allergy sufferers gain control over their allergies and prevent flare-ups,” said Sonora Quest’s Clinical Director Dr. Ashton Brock. “With the ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE technology, we are able to identify patient sensitivity to specific allergens without doing additional testing or having to deal with the itchiness and discomfort of the prevalent allergy skin prick tests.” 

For sample collection, patients can choose to schedule an appointment inside a Sonora Quest Patient Service Center, carside collection (blood and saliva only), or in a location of their choice using Get Labs (ordered through Sonora Quest).  

Arizona generally has a mild climate, so there is always something growing that can trigger allergy symptoms at any time of the year. There are typically two allergy seasons in Arizona – spring, particularly in March and April after a wet winter, and again after the monsoon season in the fall. 

“With the recent rainy season, everything is overgrown, which can cause those with allergies great distress,” said Tom Leggett, director of Business Development at Sonora Quest. “By identifying the specific allergy triggers that cause our patients grief, they can work with their providers to identify the most effective treatment (allergy medicine, shots, etc.) for sustained relief.” 

Leggett added, “More than anything, it is about patient care and keeping our communities healthy. Whether it is food or inhalant allergies, improving quality of life is top-of-mind.” 

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About Sonora Quest Laboratories    

Sonora Quest Laboratories, a subsidiary of Laboratory Sciences of Arizona, is an Arizona-based joint venture between Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX) that makes up one of the nation’s largest integrated laboratory systems. We are the trusted leader in diagnostic and information services with approximately 3,800 employees performing more than 97 million diagnostic tests per year. Our comprehensive test menu encompasses routine, molecular, prescription drug monitoring, genetic/genomic, women’s health, and pathology testing services. Sonora Quest is accredited by the College of American Pathologists, the gold standard in laboratory accreditation, which helps ensure the highest standard of care for laboratory operations. To schedule an appointment, find one of our 70+ patient service centers across Arizona, or learn more about ordering tests without a provider’s order through My Lab ReQuest™, visit us at SonoraQuest.com. 

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