Allergy is one of the commonly encountered problems in one’s day-to-day life. Allergy can range from mild allergic response reaction to major sensitivity or shock like state. An allergy is nothing but an exaggerated body’s immune response to something in your environment for example pollen, dust, food etcetera. Allergies are usually present by birth or some may be acquired over a period as the child comes in contact with the various agents in the environment. There are various types of allergy tests which are performed to find out your allergic reactions to various substances or agents.
Who performs an allergy test ?
An allergy test is performed by a physician or a pathologist, or one who is certified and specifically trained to perform such test.
When are allergy tests recommended ?
If you are facing symptoms of sneezing, watering from the eyes, running nose and sinus congestion you are advised to consult your physician or family doctor for the same. You might be allergic to something in your environment, food or some medicines which can be interpreted by doing panel of allergy tests.
What are allergens ?
Substances which cause allergic reaction when in contact with the human body are called as allergens. Allergens can be inhaled such as pollen or dust, ingested such as food items like peanuts, gluten, soy, tofu or can come in contact with the human body, those being contact allergens.
What is the basic principle behind allergy tests ?
During an allergic test a small amount of the suspected allergen is exposed to you to elicit the allergic reaction.
How do you prepare for an allergy test ?
Before getting an allergic test done it is very important to consult your treating physician about your complaints. The treating doctor will do a complete physical examination with a detailed history of your lifestyle, food habits and history of any previous allergic episodes. It is also advised that you inform your doctor if you are on any medication as some medicines might affect the results of the allergic test.
What are the type of allergy tests ?
Allergy tests are usually performed by doing certain skin tests such as a scratch test, or a prick test or a patch test where a small amount of the allergen is either applied on the skin while scratching it or a patch is applied, or an intradermal test where the allergen is injected into the dermis of your skin and the reactions to the allergen such as redness and edema are observed by your doctor. If you have problems in skin testing and may face severe allergic response, your doctor might do a blood test, where your blood is scanned for antibodies against various and specific allergens.For food allergies, usually elimination diet test is used where the susceptible foods are initially eliminated from your diet and they are slowly added back to check if they are causing any allergic reaction.
What are the risks associated with allergy tests ?
Allergy tests are usually safe when performed with supervision and care, but sometimes allergy tests may cause redness, edema and swelling of the area where the test is performed. These symptoms usually subside in a few hours to few days. Very rarely an allergy test may lead to a shock like state (anaphylactic shock) which requires immediate medical attention and the hospital or clinic where the test is performed should be well equipped to treat such emergency conditions.
Are allergy tests confirmatory ?
Skin tests can yield false positive results or false negative results occasionally and it is important to discuss the outcome and accuracy of allergy tests with your doctor. The blood tests done for ruling out specific antibodies against allergens are accurate and more specific.
What to do if you have identified what your allergic to ?
Your doctor will advise you a modified diet plan, change of lifestyle, work environment modification, diet modification or medication if necessary to control your allergic episodes. The doctor might also advise you to undergo immunotherapy to improve your body’s immune status to fight against the allergens.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.
