Numerous things can cause a runny nose or rashes to suddenly appear on the skin but determining if these conditions are the result of an allergic reaction requires a professional diagnosis. Amongst the most common and successful methods used to test for allergies are skin tests. Allergy testing procedures inject or scratch a small quantity of the potential allergen, such as pollen extract, solution containing animal dander proteins and others under the skin.

Although there are number of different treatments available for allergies, most if not all only treat the symptoms and not the root cause of the problem. Well-known antihistamines such as Benadryl a.k.a. diphenhydramine, Claritin also called loratadine together with decongestant sprays such as Nasonex, are available by prescription or over the counter and do a good job in providing relief for allergy sufferers.