Allergy is the common illness for most of the people and many of you might not be aware of the type of allergy you are having.
Testing for allergy is the only way to realize the substances to which you are allergenic.
Allergy tests are the only methods to find out the allergens which are responsible for allergic reactions in your body.
The consumption of certain products and substances which are responsible for regenerating antibodies in your immune system can trigger allergic reactions to your skin and blood.
Once, if you identify the type of allergy you are having, then it is very easy to avoid those allergens and you can also treat the symptoms easily.
Allergy testing mainly includes blood and skin tests to detect the allergens, which can mainly trigger the allergic reactions in your body. In general, skin tests are more preferable as they are reliable and fast and also less expensive when compared to blood tests.
The procedures involved in testing your skin for allergies:
Skin prick test:
In this type of allergy test, the possible allergens are taken in the form of solution. A drop of this solution is placed on your skin and a series of scratches on that particular surface of the skin or needle pricks are done to allow the solution to enter into your blood.
If your skin develops red swollen itchy area, then you are said to be allergic to that particular allergen. This abnormal reaction on the skin is called as positive reaction.
Intradermal test:
During this allergy test, a small amount of allergen solution is injected into your skin. This interadermal allergy test is mainly preferred when you are not satisfied with skin prick test and still suspect an allergen that can be allergic to you.
An intradermal allergy test is most sensitive and more often, this allergy test will give positive results if you have allergies and it is also helpful in identifying the allergens which do not show any allergy symptoms.
Skin patch test:
In this type of allergy test, the allergen solution is sprayed on a pad. This pad is taped on your skin and it is left with the pad for 24 to 72 hours. Skin patch test is mainly used to detect skin allergies, called contact dermatitis.
Blood tests for detecting allergens:
The main aim of allergy blood tests is to detect the presence of antibody substances in your blood, which mainly causes allergies.
When ever the allergens enter into your body, the immune system will release certain anti bodies to fight against the allergens. The production of anti bodies in your blood mainly results into adverse allergic reactions.
Blood allergy tests are not as sensitive as skin tests and most often they are preferred by the people for whom skin tests are difficult.
The most common type among all types of blood tests is enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this type of allergy test, the level of IGE or immunoglobin anti bodies present in your blood is measured.
How ever, there are certain risks involved in having these tests like skin itching, bruises on the skin, etc. But, it is always advisable to have allergy test to avoid adverse allergic reactions.
