Allergy Testing: Causes & Diagnosis
Allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases. Almost 30% of the population in India suffers from allergies in some form or other.
This happens on a few occasions, the brain sends wrong signals to the immune system when the body comes in contact with a foreign object. Usually, the immune system produces antibodies to fight off infections and other foreign objects. These antibodies are known as Histamines and they can sometimes be too strong, and this is what leads to an allergic reaction.
HCDC ( Healthcare Diagnostic Centre ) Bhopal & Kolkata is one of the best Diagnostic lab for accurate & reliable Allergy testing at very affordable pricing under the supervision of the best team of Doctors/ physicians.
The Different Types of Allergies
Allergies can be quite difficult for people who suffer from them. These allergies are caused by substances called allergens and there are a wide variety of such allergens:
- Inhaled Allergens
- Ingested Allergens
- Contact Allergens
How to Take an Allergy Test?
Allergy testing can be done easily by going to a general physician and discussing lifestyle, sleeping & eating habits, and family history of diseases and allergies, among other things. After this detailed discussion, your general physician will usually prescribe a comprehensive allergy test.
Types of Allergy Tests
Before you go for the prescribed allergy test, you need to know the 3 major types of allergy testing methods. These are mostly non-invasive or very minimally invasive tests that are completely painless.
Skin Tests
These tests are further subdivided into 3 types, that are, Scratch Test, Intradermal Tests, and Patch Tests. The Scratch Test is usually the first type of skin test that a general physician performs to ascertain whether your skin is allergic to a particular type of allergen. Similarly, an Intradermal Test can also be performed where the allergen is directly injected into the epidermis of your skin. On the other hand, Patch Tests are rather new.
Blood Tests
In cases where the primary physician is concerned that a skin test may cause severe allergic reactions, he may recommend a blood test. In this, your doctor will draw some blood, usually from your middle arm, and send the samples for testing to a diagnostic lab. The results of these tests take about a week to be conclusive.
Elimination Diet
This is the most non-invasive type of allergy test and revolves around investigation through elimination. Your doctor will prescribe to eliminate certain types of food from your regular diet for a few days. After this, he will advice to bring back certain types of food into your regular diet one by one, to see which of these ingredients are causing your specific type of food allergy.
Risk Evaluation :
While there are risks involved in such allergy tests as mild to severe itching and inflammation, most of these tests are performed under the supervision of an experienced doctor. Therefore, there is often little cause of concern when taking an allergy test. You can rest assured that allergy tests are always done in a clinical environment and the presence of medical equipment as well as experienced doctors.
Conclusion: If you regularly experience allergic reactions or adverse symptoms that are similar to a regular allergic reaction, you need to first consult a general physician. To know the difference and take adequate measures, it is best to first take an allergy test. HCDC ( Healthcare Diagnostic Clinic & Laboratory Services) is one of the best Diagnostic Lab for Allergy testing in Bhopal & Kolkata.
