Allergy Diagnosis in India: Current and Future Trends

Allergies, particularly allergic rhinitis (AR), atopic dermatitis (AD), and food allergies, are highly prevalent in India, especially among children. However, the true prevalence is likely underestimated, highlighting the need for improved diagnosis and management. This review highlights current allergy diagnostic practices in India and the associated challenges. Accurate diagnosis requires a comprehensive, allergy-focused patient history, correlated with appropriate in vivo and/or in vitro diagnostic test results. This necessitates awareness among healthcare professionals about allergies as a disease and the timely referral of patients to allergy specialists. However, ambiguities in diagnostic techniques, limited access to advanced diagnostic tools, high associated costs, fragmented allergy services, and evolving allergen profiles influenced by environmental and lifestyle changes present significant barriers to diagnosis. Addressing gaps in accessibility, affordability, and awareness is essential for establishing a robust framework for accurate diagnosis, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life. The burden of allergic diseases in India remains underdiagnosed due to limited diagnostic capacity. Diagnosis is typically based on clinical history and tests, such as the skin prick test (SPT) and specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement. However, challenges such as low awareness, unclear techniques, and limited access to standardized tools persist. Combining component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) with traditional tests can enhance accuracy and guide better treatment decisions.