Testing for Allergies – Things you must know

While spending some time in a yard filled with flowers can be one of the most soothing experiences for many; it can cause a severe bout of sneezing for few! Again, if by any chance you have a pet at home, you will definitely second the fact that a hug from your pet can wipe off the day’s fatigue, isn’t it? However, no matter how incredible it may appear to you, there are people who suffer from serious skin rashes each time they are in a close proximity with animals.

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Again, you may have come across people who count on peanut butter as one item that can turn a meal into a heavenly supper experience. And perhaps for you it can be a nightmare!

Well, definitely it is not those beautiful flowers in your garden or the loving animals at home who are being a little biased with you or anybody with a similar experience. Here, we are talking about one of the greatest medical mysteries – Allergies that relate to your own immune system.

Now, there can be an endless list of things that you may want to know about allergies, their types, causes, treatments and diagnosis. Therefore, without much ado, let us proceed to further sections that may suffice all your queries and perhaps provide you something more!

Allergies – Knowing the “What” and “WHY”

In medical terms, allergy is a hypersensitive response of your body’s immune system to substances (food/drinks/animal dander/anything in environment), that are otherwise harmless. These immune sensitive substances are medically termed as allergens.

Human immune system aims at fighting and eliminating harmful foreign entities such as pathogens, which find their way into the body and cause detrimental impact. However, people with malfunctioned immune system identify normal/harmless substances as ‘threat’ and thereby try combating them each time the body comes in contact with those.

Allergic Reaction – How it works?

As soon as the body comes in contact with allergens, the malfunctioned immune system recognizes them as intruders and thus prepares to fight back. During the process, the body produces Immunoglobulin E(IgE) in response to the specific allergen.

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IgE are antibodies, specifically known as allergy antibodies that are generated by the immune system. They travel through mast cells and produce chemicals such as histamine. Mast cells are present in nearby connective tissues such as skin, lungs, stomach nose, eyes etc.

These cells produce chemicals, that are said to bring about allergic reactions, that are experienced as minor to severe discomfort; such as sneezing, redness or itching eyes, swelling or acute respiratory problems etc.

Now, every IgE has a definite trigger or allergen to which it is produced and thus causes a variety of reactions. It is because of this, that there are people who are allergic to some specific food item while there are others who are allergic to dust or pollens alone. Again, there are many who have multiple IgE and thereby are said to be allergic to a variety of substances.

However, all of these are curable if proper identification of the allergen and relevant treatment is carried out. In rarest of cases, allergies can prove to be fatal.

Allergy and its Symptoms:

Usually allergic symptoms are experienced within a few minutes after you have been exposed to an allergen; however sometimes it can take a couple of hours too.

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Symptoms can range from very generic irritation to specific and acute troubles. Few allergic symptoms have been listed below:

  • Cold like symptoms such as continuous sneezing, running nose or blocked nose. This condition is medically termed as Allergy rhinitis.
  • Red and itchy eyes
  • Cough, chest tightness, breathing troubles or shortness of breath, etc.
  • Skin rashes that are itchy, and cause swelling of lips, eye area or any part of the skin where they appear
  • Vomiting, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea or any abdominal discomfort
  • Anaphylaxis is a severe medical condition relating to allergic reaction that causes a person to loose consciousness along with all the above mentioned symptoms. If this goes untreated for a while it may prove fatal.

What are the different types of Allergies?

Below listed are some of the most common types of allergies amongst children as well as adults:

  • Food Allergy
  • Skin Allergy
  •  Pet allergy
  • Insect sting allergy
  • Dust allergy
  • Seasonal allergy
  • Drug allergy
  • Latex allergy
  • Mold allergy
  • Allergic Rhinitistypes-of-allergies

Out of the above mentioned types of allergies, food and seasonal allergies are the most common. Food allergies are witnessed more in children as compared to adults.

Now, a complete meal includes a number of food items with variety of nutrients and mineral intake. So, how do you pin point the exact item/items to which a person is allergic to? This brings us to a very important section discussed below.

Get tested to know what exactly is causing the allergy:

In addition to food allergies, every other allergy calls for a test to identify the exact substances to which you may be allergic to. It is because, allergy symptoms mentioned above are very generic and thereby it is quite evident that these primary symptoms get neglected in an early stage or confused with other health disorders.

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As for example, continuous sneezing caused by dust or pollens during seasonal change can be misinterpreted as cold symptoms. However, no matter what preventive measures you take up to fight cold, the continuous sneezing you are experiencing will definitely not come under control unless the allergen(dust/pollen in this case) is identified and then treated. Thus, this calls for an allergy test.

Common types of Allergy tests:

On a broader prospect, allergy tests are of two types – Skin Allergy tests and Blood tests.

Skin Allergy test can be further subdivided into following three types:

  • Skin Prick Test
  • Intradermal Skin Test
  • Patch Testing

Blood tests for Allergy are again available in the below mentioned three types:

  • ELISA or EIA
  • RAST Test
  • Immunocap test

Skin Prick Test:

Skin prick test or SPT is one of the most common pathological tests conducted to diagnose an allergy. The procedure is suitable for all age groups; starting from babies to adults. It is most efficient in detecting allergies related to food and hay fever allergy i.e; allergy caused due to inhaled substances; such as dust, pollens, animal dander etc.

The test is carried out by introducing small fraction of allergens on the skin of your body through scratches or niddle pricks. It is mostly demonstrated on forearms; however, sometimes it can also be carried out on your thighs and back. Detailed description of the procedure and related preparations has been discussed in the latter section.

The test precisely depends upon the histamines produced. If allergens can trigger IgE and produce histamines, vivid results are witnessed. If the body is not allergic to induced allergens, no histamines are produced. This is known as negative SPT response. The test comes up with almost immediate results within 15 – 20 minutes of its commencement.

However, sometimes, negative SPT response can also occur if the person undergoing the test may use some anti histamine or other medicines that suppress or nullify the histamine effect. It is because of this reason, that skin prick tests are always followed by other relevant skin or blood tests. skin-allergy

Intradermal Allergy Testing:

An intra-dermal allergy testing works on a similar line as that of SPT. In this method, the allergen is injected into the body and the practitioner waits for visible reactions that show within 20 minutes. These are considered to be more accurate and efficient in detecting bee venom or penicillin allergies. The tests are conducted when SPT negative response is obtained even when the practitioner doubts the presence of allergy.

Patch Test for Allergies:

Patch Testing is also referred to as skin allergy test for contact dermatitis. The test is conducted with an aim to identify specific substances that cause skin inflammation when brought in contact with the surface of the skin.

This test is useful in determining allergies caused due to application of any kind of medicine or any kind of cosmetic products or anything else that comes in contact with your skin and thereby causes allergic reaction.

Blood Tests for Allergy:

Testing blood samples to diagnose allergies is also a very common method and is held parallel with skin allergy testing. RAST – Radioallergosorbent is one of the oldest blood test method conducted for allergy detection. However, today more advanced and superior testing options such as ELISA or ImmunoCap testings are available.

A blood test conducted for allergy diagnosis examines the blood sample for IgE antibodies that are specific to allergens. Higher the IgE levels, more allergic you are to the specific allergen. blood-allergy-test

Both skin and blood tests have equal benefits and downsides. However, for the sake of comparison blood tests are available for a variety of allergy testing and are sometimes considered to be more accurate as they are not affected by histamines or sun exposure, sweating etc.

Again, skin tests come up with faster results and thus facilitate quicker treatment. These are also cost effective as compared to blood tests. Besides, children may find skin allergy testing more comfortable as compared to blood test.

So, choosing the type of tests mostly depends on the doctor’s suggestions.

Allergy Testing – Procedures and Preparation:

Skin prick test and intradermal test are carried out on a similar line and involve the following steps:

  • The lab practitioner will clean the test site, that can be your forearms, back or thighs
  • Specific allergens that have been determined after a thorough discussion with patients about their symptoms are introduced on the skin surface in the form of drops
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  • For skin prick test, a needle is pricked through the droplets so that they find their way into the skin. While for intradermal testing, a needle is directly injected through the skin
  • Relative results are witnessed after 12 – 20 minutes following procedure

Skin patch test includes the below mentioned procedures:

  • The procedure involves the use of patches that look familiar to bandages that carry specific allergen doses
  • These patches are then placed on the skin surface of your back for around 24 to 72 hours
  • The practitioner will remove these patches eventually and witness relevant symptoms if any

Allergy tests do not involve too many precautions to be followed. Informing doctors about anti histamines or other related drugs is important to expect accurate results. Besides, not getting the patch wet or exposed to direct sunlight during patch testing is also crucial to obtain accurate results.

Blood testing for allergies are conducted in the following manner:

  • The practitioner will wrap a band around your upper arm; similar to any other blood test procedure
  • A needle cleaned with alcohol is then inserted into a vein to draw blood that is collected in a tube
  • Once the procedure is done, the elastic band is removed and a cotton ball is applied on the punctured area

Are allergy tests painful?

Individuals who are asked to go for an allergy test do wonder if these tests are really painful to undergo. Especially parents of children who are suggested with allergy tests fear if the child may have to bare excessive pain or side effects post testing.

However, now that you have read the entire procedure of both skin and blood tests, you may perhaps have understood that the pain these tests may cause is not extreme and rather manageable. Subtle needle prick or the slight discomfort while administering the blood test is totally bearable for adults; while children may find it slightly painful.

Allergic reactions among children and adults are seeing a manifold increase. Relevant research and study still continues to know more about allergies and why they appear. However, allergies are not life threatening and recent tests and precautions have made it easier to fight back any allergic reaction whatsoever.

Allergy testing is available with many diagnostic centers across various cities and you may find the list here. Identification of specific allergens through tests and then taking necessary precautions or restraining from those is all you need to do in order to get rid of those annoying symptoms. So, what are you waiting for? Opt for an allergy test today!

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