Wendy Gorman asked:




In the United States alone, there are already over 50 million of people who are diagnosed with allergies. The very first important step in allergy testing and therefore effective treatment, is to identify what you are allergic to. Current developments in medical technology have made allergy testing more efficient and convenient han used to be the case. Allergy tests are conducted in order to identify what specific things – food, environment, etc., actually trigger one’s allergic reactions and results are compared with a study of the patient’s medical history to obtain more efficient results.

Allergies are exaggerated reactions from our immune system in response to body contact with a particular unfamiliar substance. It is an exaggerated reaction because only people with an allergic condition react to these foreign substances. When our body comes in to contact with allergens or the “unfamiliar substances”, people who are allergic to that substance cause their immune system to develop an allergic reaction. If your body reacts to a substance that is not harmful to others, then you are said to be allergic or atopic. An allergy test is suitable for both adults and children, since all ages can be susceptible to allergic reactions.

Allergy Testing can take two forms – skin test and blood test. Normally, testing is done under the guidance of a specialist in allergy, who are skilled in the best methods for identifying allergies as well as the appropriate methods for treating them.

In the first form, skin testing, a sample of a potential allergen is taken from the surface of the skin. The test is usually carried out on the back or on the forearm. Various suspected allergens are tested at the same time. If you prove to be allergic to a particular test, you are likely to develop a swelling and redness at the test spot. Occasionally, the doctor will suggest a second test procedure. With this process, a small amount of assumed allergen is injected into the skin of the of the forearm. As with first test, many suspected allergens can be tested on the same time.

The result of a skin test is usually available immediately. Positive reactions often appear within 20 minutes for either of the tests. Swelling and redness may occur few hours after the test was completed, but this delayed reaction often fades away within 24 to 48 hours. It should however, always be reported to the doctor or nurse. With both types of skin test, there is usually only minimal pain or indeed no pain at all. A positive reaction on the test however, can be more annoying as it can feel like a mosquito bite and is likely to be accompanied by redness and swelling. On a lighter note, these can be expected to disappear within just a few minutes or hours.

The second form of allergy testing, the blood test, is often used in cases that the patient is undergoing a medication that would hamper skin testing or if the patient is suffering from severe skin conditions such as eczema. Blood testing is also used when dealing with babies or young children as a single needle stick for the test is better than various skin tests. Unlike the skin test, the result of a blood test takes some time as the sample needs to be analysed by a laboratory. It is however more costly to administer than the skin test.

Each test method has its advantages and disadvantages and the test results alone are not enough to completely diagnose an allergy. In all cases, using either type of test, results need to be considered together with the patient’s personal medical history.

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