Allergy Testing: Have You Been Avoiding It?

If you have seasonal allergies then you know that spring has arrived. It's time to start dosing yourself, or your child, with nasal sprays, eye drops and antihistamines. The good news is that the products on the market today, both over-the-counter and prescription medications are more effective at treating your symptoms. The bad news is that your symptoms start earlier in the season and may last longer. Research on seasonal allergies has shown that due to global warming, the allergy season has gotten longer. In addition, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has grown, which in turn has made more of us sensitive to the pollens in the air during the spring growing season, especially ragweed. More of us are suffering than ever before and one in ten Americans has a ragweed allergy.

So if you didn't have allergies before and think you may have a cold, think again! It is often difficult to tell the difference between a cold and allergies and in the past allergy testing was a painfully long, drawn-out process filled with skin pricks or scratches to determine what you were allergic to. Do I really need to know and does it really matter? Yes, it does. If you know exactly what your body is reacting to, you can avoid it, especially if it's food, or if it's a particular type of plant or weed, you can watch the pollen counts to know when you need to be sure you're taking your allergy medication and when you can stop. You can save money and skip on annoying side effects like drowsiness when your "evil weed" stops blooming, or sprouting, or blowing in the wind and irritating you.

You'll be glad to know that medicine has come a long way in the identification of allergies. Newer allergy tests require only one blood draw and can identify possible allergies for dozens of substances including 90 foods and 45 environmental allergens. The technology for this allergy test puts the allergens in the blood sample and then measures the blood to look for a specific IgE antibody that is a direct measurement of an allergic reaction. Each allergen produces a specific IgE antibody so the test results will clearly show which allergen caused the response. If there is no IgE antibody produced, there was no allergic reaction. You need to have been exposed to the allergen previously so that IgE can build up in your system, otherwise a possible allergy to something new won't show up on the test.

Additionally, food allergies, especially to nuts, have been making headlines across the country. Although researchers aren't certain why there are more of us with food allergies and specifically, children with peanut allergies, causing "nut-free" classrooms, the danger is real. Being able to take your child for a simple blood test instead of days of being pricked and scratched is safer for them and much less stressful for both of you. If you have been avoiding getting tested yourself, but know that something has been bothering you after you eat or after you spend time outside, take a deep breath. It's easier than ever to find out what's causing your suffering.