Allergy Testing - A Look At The Types

It doesn't happen to everyone, but even those who were lucky enough to get through

their childhood and twenties without allergic reactions may find that this changes as they get older. Once spring arrives, you suddenly seem to be sneezing every time you turn around. You walk outside and notice that you have a burning feeling in your nose that never seems to go away. Your eyes tear up for no apparent reason. For some, it has nothing to do with spring. It may come with another season or it may come because of other environmental concerns. The only way to know for sure is to undergo allergy testing. Here's a look at the types doctors employ to make a diagnosis.

Skin Allergy Testing

The most common form of screening done by a doctor is through the skin. Using these qualifiers, a doctor can quickly discern the allergen causing the problem. One version uses a small patch with the suspected allergen moistened to the surface. This is then taped onto the skin and left there for a day or two. If the patient has a reaction, it will manifest as contact dermatitis, a kind of rash. This provides reliable results, but there are other methods that exist that can give these results more quickly. These include scratching or pricking the skin to allow the allergen underneath and intradermal screening.

Elimination Allergy Testing

For unknown reasons, more and more people are experiencing allergic reactions to their food. This is becoming especially prevalent in children, particularly in reaction to peanuts and peanut products, which can produce deadly consequences. You can develop food reactions at any age, of course, and it isn't always easy to tell which foods are causing the issue. The elimination screening consists of removing suspects from the patient's diet before adding them back in one at a time. When the allergic reaction occurs after a food has been reintroduced, you have your perpetrator. This method, of course, only works for reactions that are not life threatening.

RAST Allergy Testing

When patients are having severe allergic reactions, many doctors prefer to use RAST blood screening to find out what is causing the problem. This type of blood screening allows the laboratory to look for antibody levels produced when the individual is exposed to any number of possible allergens. While very effective, the drawback in this type of screening is that only a small number of allergies can be detected.

by: Aloysius Aucoin

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