Allergy Testing: Know Your Allergies, Treat Them Naturally

Allergy testing subjects you to various types of tests that help determine your allergies to particular harmless environmental substances.  Allergic reactions can be life-threatening; therefore being aware of your allergies is essential in preserving life and or living a quality life amid certain restrictions.

What is an Allergy?

As you may already know, allergies are oversensitive immune responses to substances that come in contact or enter the body. It can be food ingredients like shrimps, wheat and nuts, or other environmental elements such as dust, pollen, animal dander and bee venom. Any allergy-causing substance is called an “allergen.” Different individuals may be allergic to different substances; however most allergens aren’t harmful and not everyone may have an allergic reaction to something.

Allergy Testing: Types of Allergies and their Symptoms

There are quite a few sources of allergies we are not very aware of. Here’s a list of the types of allergies recorded. Having an allergy testing helps you become aware of your allergens; thus avoiding them.

• Cockroach Allergy – the symptoms include whole-year round asthmatic reaction, skin rashes, stuffy nose, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest. If you live in an area where there are cockroaches or possible presence of these insects, you may be allergic to them. Getting in contact with paints, newspapers, books and foods that have been touched by cockroaches get you these symptoms. To be certain, undergoing allergy testing is required.
• Drug Allergies – this type of allergy can be potentially dangerous. The symptoms include hives or skin rashes, itchiness, breathing problems including wheezing, swelling of any body parts, and anaphylaxis, which is life-threatening. If you develop any reaction after taking a medicine, seek immediate medical attention. Just like any other type of allergies, you will be required to undergo allergy testing to identify which type of drug you’re allergic to, or which component of the drug gives you an allergic reaction.
• Dust Allergy – you often get this allergy from your own home. House dust may contain dust mites, cockroaches, molds or fungi, and pet dander. Getting allergy testing done by certified allergists helps verify if you have dust allergy and further identify if you have particular allergic reaction to dust mites and other household substances that mix in the dust.
• Eye Allergies – the common triggers of eye allergies includes outdoor airborne allergens like tree, grass, and weed pollens; and indoor allergens like pet dander, dust mites and molds. If you have eye allergy, your eyes become swollen, itchy, red and watery.
• Food Allergies – this is probably the most common type of allergy, and people get allergic reaction to various types of foods. Allergy testing is often done to patients who complain of allergic symptoms that must have been caused by eating food or foods with ingredients that trigger the immune’s system response to particular allergens. The symptoms include skin itchiness or rashes, shortness of breath, wheezing and other breathing problems, and anaphylaxis, which can be deadly.
• Insect Sting Allergies – don’t take this allergy too lightly as it is more dangerous than drug allergies. In fact, some deaths in various countries are caused by insect sting allergies.  Symptoms include anaphylaxis that may include itchiness, hives, swelling in the other areas of the body aside from those that were bitten or stung, swelling of the tongue, dizziness, unconsciousness, a sharp drop of blood pressure and cardiac arrest.  These reactions obviously need immediate medical care. If you want to know whether or not you have insect sting allergies, get an allergy testing.
• Latex Allergy – if your work requires you to wear latex gloves or get exposed to latex very often, if you have multiple surgeries or allergic rhinitis, you are most vulnerable to latex allergy. An allergy testing will prove this true or untrue. Symptoms include hives, itchiness, runny or stuffy nose, asthma symptoms, which may manifest a few minutes after exposure to latex, and anaphylaxis. Prolonged exposure to latex may also cause a person to develop allergic contact dermatitis in the form of eczema and blisters on the areas of the body that come in regular contact with latex, like hands when wearing latex gloves.
• Mold Allergy – there are outdoor and indoor molds that you may get in contact with. And when you do, you’ll get allergy symptoms like sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, itchy throat (the insides of your ears also get itchy), hives, swollen eyelids, wheezing, coughing and trouble breathing. Outdoor molds grow on fallen leaves, rotting logs, on grasses and grains, and in compost piles. Indoor molds can be found in areas with high humidity and moisture like kitchen, basement, and bathroom. If your allergy testing indicates you are allergic to molds, avoid these allergens.
• Pet Allergies – around 10% of the population in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom have pet allergies. However, individuals with asthma have a 30 % chance of developing pet allergy symptoms that include itchiness, sneezing and wheezing. Pet and animal hair is considered to be a significant allergen and so their skin flakes, saliva and urine. Furthermore, animal fur can catch other allergens like dust, mold and pollen.
• Skin Allergies – like food allergies, skin allergies are also very common. People who are suffering from chronic hives are getting allergy testing to validate skin allergy.

Allergy Testing: Types of Allergy Tests

Allergy testing is safe for children and adults and can be done with or without allergic manifestations. Some individuals from a family with allergies often have allergy testing to determine whether or not they inherited the allergies from their parents. Sometimes, allergists check for the following symptoms before an allergy testing is conducted:

• Respiratory Symptoms: itchy eyes, nose, throat; runny nose, nasal congestion, chest congestion, cough, wheezing, or watery eyes
• Skin Symptoms: eczema, hives or itching
• Abdominal Symptoms: cramping, vomiting, and diarrhoea after eating particular foods
• Other severe reactions to insect stings aside from swelling
• Anaphylaxis.

The following are the types of allergy testing that allergists may employ:

Skin Allergy Testing

This is done by placing a small amount of possible allergen on or below the skin for any reaction. There are three ways to do skin testing:

1.  Skin Prick. A small drop of solution containing a possible allergen is placed on the skin. A needle prick will then be performed on the same area to allow the solution to get into the skin. If a wheal develops, it is an indication of an allergic reaction to the suspected allergen.
2. Intradermal. This test is more sensitive than the skin prick; thus sometimes, patients with negative results using skin prick come positive with Intradermal. This allergy testing method is done with a solution containing possible allergen injected into the skin.
3. Skin Patch. Unlike the first two allergy testing methods, skin patch only requires the allergen solution to be placed on the patch or pad and tape it on the skin for 24-72 hours. If a contact dermatitis develops, the patient is more likely allergic to the substance in the solution.

Blood Allergy Testing

With this type of test, the antibodies are checked for any allergy-causing substance. Although not as sensitive as the skin allergy testing, patients who are unable to have skin testing often use this methodology.  The most common blood test used is called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA/EIA that measures the blood level of a particular antibody, called IgE, that the body produces in response to the allergens. Usually, the IgE levels are higher in people that have asthma or allergies.

Elimination Diet

This is a method of allergy testing that helps identify the foods that can be consumed and cannot be consumed by a patient. An allergist will require patients to make a list of every food and drink they consume on a daily and weekly basis, once or three times a week, and less often. Suspected food that contains allergens will be eliminated from the diet for five days and will be re-introduced back into the diet on the sixth day. If the allergic reactions go away during food elimination and come back when the food is re-introduced, the patient may have allergies to the suspected foods.

Muscle Allergy Testing

A more natural way of conducting allergy testing is muscle testing. This test is done by a Kinesiologist who exposes the patient to possible allergen. If the muscles become weak, the patient may be positively allergic to the substance.

The Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques or NAET 

NAET is an alternative allergy testing techniques developed by Devi Nambudripad, an acupuncturist and chiropractor in California. It is used to analyse and cure allergies and have been practiced since 1983 using a combined knowledge and methods of acupressure, chiropractic, acupuncture, nutritional management and kinesiology.