The role of skin prick tests in the diagnosis of pollinosis

This article is devoted to hay fever, one of the most common allergic diseases, and the key role of skin prick tests (SPT) in its diagnosis. An analysis of the historical development of ideas about allergies, from ancient times to modern scientific achievements, is carried out. Particular attention is paid to the contribution of Turkmen scientists to the study of hay fever in Central Asia. Based on our own research conducted at the International Scientific and Clinical Center of Physiology with the participation of 50 patients, as well as an analysis of foreign and domestic literary data, the article demonstrates the high efficiency and diagnostic value of SPT. The results showed that this method not only allows identifying sensitization to multiple pollen allergens, but also helps in prescribing adequate allergen-specific immunotherapy. The study confirms that SPT, despite the emergence of new molecular methods, remains the "gold standard" in allergy diagnostics due to its high sensitivity (94.6%), specificity (91.1%), availability and speed of obtaining results. The authors emphasize that timely use of SPT reduces the time of diagnosis, reduces the number of unjustified prescriptions of antibiotics and, as a result, increases the effectiveness of hay fever treatment.