You are not alone if you are affected by allergies. There are many millions of people in the United States who have some form of allergies. The first step in combating allergic reactions is to figure out what is triggering them. If you think you have allergies your doctor can perform a number of allergy tests that can help determine exactly what you are allergic to.
You have probably heard of being gluten or lactose-intolerant but these conditions are different than food allergies. Food intolerances and sensitivities concur when the body is unable to process or digest certain foods. Continue reading below to learn more about food allergies.
1 Figure Out The Foods That You Should Avoid With Food Sensitivity Tests
In contrast, food allergies are when a food triggers an immune response in your body that causes it to produce antibodies to fight it.
You can test for food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies in the comfort of your own environment by purchasing an at-home food intolerance test or food sensitivity test. Most of these tests types of tests can only identify food intolerances and sensitivities but there are a few at home allergy tests that use DNA to identify food allergies. Make sure that you do your homework when you look for an at-home food allergy testing.
You can also use an elimination diet to try and figure out what is triggering your food sensitivities. This is when you remove certain foods from your diet and then slowly add them back in to gauge your reaction to each one.
Food allergies tend to be more dangerous than food intolerances or sensitivities. An allergic reaction to food can even be fatal. For this reason it is important to identify what foods are triggering your allergies.
If you suspect that you have a food allergy it is a good idea to see a doctor. Doctors who specialize in allergies are known as immunologists or skin allergists. They typically will use a combination of skin and blood tests to determine which foods you are allergic to.
Learn about the specifics of skin testing for allergies.
Doctors often use a type of skin allergy test known as a prick or scratch test as their first method when they are looking for an allergy. During a scratch test an allergen is put into a liquid. This liquid is then placed onto a small section of your skin with a very tiny puncture.
Once you have been pricked with the allergen liquid you will be closely monitored to see if your skin reacts to the testing site with redness, swelling, puffiness, or itchiness. If any of this occurs then it means that you are allergic to the substance.
2 Skin Testing For Allergies: The Basics
If a scratch test does not determine what is triggering your allergies then an allergist may do an intradermal skin test. This type of testing is similar to the scratch test in that your skin will be pierced with a little bit of the allergen.
With intradermal testing you will be injected with the allergen so that it penetrates the first few layers of your skin. Once you have been injected with the allergen you will then be monitored for symptoms that show a reaction.
A third type of skin testing for allergies is the allergy patch test.
To do a patch test a doctor will place an adhesive patch that has been loaded with the substances that you may be allergic to.
The patch test is a longer process than intradermal and scratch testing. You keep the patches on your skin after you leave the doctor’s office. After 2 days the patches are reviewed to see if there is any skin reaction. This review process usually is repeated again after 3 days and then finally after 4 days.
Find out about another type of allergy testing.
Skin testing for allergies is the most common way to determine allergies but not everyone is a great candidate for scratch, patch, or intradermal tests. If an allergist cannot perform skin testing on a patient then they will do an allergy blood test.
When you come into contact with something that triggers your allergies, your body produces antibodies against it. During an allergy blood test a small amount of your blood will be drawn and then sent to a lab. The lab will determine the amount of specific allergen antibodies that are present in your blood, this will tell them what you are allergic to.
3 Why Blood Tests Are Used To Determine Allergies
An allergist will do a blood test in certain circumstances, including the below:
- The patient has previously had a severe reaction to a skin test, in extreme cases this is called anaphylaxis.
- The patient is taking medications that will interfere with skin testing results, including steroids, some antidepressants, and antihistamines.
- The patient has a heart condition.
- The patient has serious asthma.
- The patient has a skin condition such as psoriasis or eczema.
Allergy blood testing has negative and positives attributes.
Here are some of the good things about using blood testing to determine your allergies:
- Allergy blood testing can be done at any time, regardless of medications that you are taking
- This type of testing only requires one needle as opposed to scratch or prick testing which involves multiple needles- one per allergen. If you are wary of needle then blood testing might be the way to go.
Here are some of the downsides of allergy blood testing:
- Blood testing is a more expensive process since the results must be sent away to be evaluated by a lab.
- For this same reason, the results of a blood test will take longer to receive. It will take longer to find out what you are allergic to.
