Allergies

Allergy season can be any season. It depends on what you are allergic to. What if you don’t know what you are allergic to? It may be time for an allergy test.

Symptoms of allergies :

•    itchy eyes

•    watery eyes

•    dark circles under the eyes

•    shortness of breath

       •    skin rashes

       •    skin swelling

       •    digestive problems

       •    vomiting

Read about 3 Types of Allergy Tests. Which would you prefer?

If you don’t know the meaning of the words in bold, look them up in a dictionary.

3 TYPES OF ALLERGY TESTS :

Allergy tests help determine which foods, plants, or materials a person is allergic to. It is helpful to have a list of suspected allergens. Medical history is also helpful.

1.  Skin Test

Doctors place a small amount of an allergen on a person’s skin (usually on the forearm). For the “prick test”, a needle with a tiny amount of the allergen is pricked onto the skin. Results take about 15-20 minutes. For the “patch test”, a small patch containing the allergen is applied to the skin for about 48 hours. If a person has an allergy, the skin becomes red and raised.

2.  Blood Test

A blood test requires a blood sample from the allergy sufferer. The blood is taken to the lab. The sample is introduced to various allergens. If the person has an allergy, certain antibodies form in the blood. The blood test is not as accurate as the skin test.

3.  Challenge Test

This is also called the elimination test. This is sometimes used for finding food allergies. One at a time, suspected foods are removed from a person’s diet. Types of food to eliminate include eggs, milk, or wheat. This type of test can take a long time. A skin or blood test may still be used to confirm an allergy.