Allergy Testing and Treatments

Allergy Testing and Treatments – What is it?

Allergy testing and treatments are performed to ascertain whether or not you are allergic to a particular substance or not. If you are diagnosed with an allergy, the doctor or allergist prescribes a suitable treatment plan to help you reduce allergy symptoms.

Benefits of allergy testing and treatments

Determine the cause of allergy

Allergens, substances that induce allergies, are generally divided into three primary types – inhaled allergens, contact allergens, and ingested allergens.

A treatment plan cannot be put in place for you until your doctor or allergist determines what caused the allergic reaction. Allergy testing is the best solution for finding the cause of allergy and preventing allergy in the future.

Design a suitable treatment plan

Once the allergist understands the cause of your allergy, they will formulate a precise treatment plan for you. Let’s say you have a food intolerance test and are diagnosed with a specific food allergy. Your allergist will now guide you on how to avoid that food and which emergency medication/treatment to take if you ever ingest it accidentally.

Reduce the chance of having severe allergic reactions

Allergy testing and treatments can help you make suitable lifestyle changes and avoid allergens that can put your life at risk. If your body shows severe allergic reactions, your the doctor or allergist may instruct you to always keep an EpiPen® with you.

Make right food choices

People diagnosed with an allergy to a specific food after a food intolerance test are advised to make changes to their diet. They will be asked to remove an entire food group from their diet. The allergist may recommend suitable alternatives that you can have to get essential nutrients of the same food that you cannot eat.

Control your surroundings and the environment

Many airborne allergies caused by pollens, mold and dust mites are seasonal and generally require seasonal adjustment. Pollen levels are usually high during the summer season. When you are diagnosed with a certain pollen allergy, it is recommended that you spend more time indoors during the pollen season and make other adjustments to your environment to avoid pollen.

What should I expect from allergy testing and treatments sessions?

There are different types of allergy tests, but skin tests are considered more accurate and inexpensive. During a skin test, the allergist will place a small amount of different suspected allergens on your skin. They can administer these allergens into your skin in three ways: patch test, skin prick test, or intradermal skin test.

The allergist will observe your skin’s reaction to suspected allergens to find if you are allergic to them or not. If your skin at the test site becomes itchy, red or swollen, it indicates you are allergic to that specific substance. You will be prescribed a suitable medication/treatment plan, and it will be explained to you how you can avoid allergens in the future. An allergy testing and treatments session lasts for up to 30 minutes, depending on how long it takes to diagnose the allergen.

Summary

An allergy test, including a food intolerance test, can be a lifesaver for allergy sufferers. It helps identify the cause of an allergy and create a suitable treatment plan to prevent serious allergic reactions in the future.

 

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