How Does Skin Allergy Testing Work?

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Skin allergy testing is the most common way to get allergies tested. This test is usually conducted on the back or forearm of patients. It is typically called a scratch test or skin prick test. Nurses or medical practitioners usually put little allergen on the skin, thereby making a prick on it.

Once the allergens get inside the skin and mix with the blood, it might or might not react. It will efficiently help in determining the types of allergies a patient endures. Let us now find out the cause of allergies, types of allergens, and how to prepare for allergy testing.

What Causes Allergies?

For every person, the immune system works as a natural defense. There might be times when the immune system overreacts to some typical element. And that is precisely when allergies occur. For instance, pollen is usually harmless, but it can be a cause of skin allergy as the immune system might overreact. It might cause: 

  • Excessive sneezing
  • Runny nose
  • Watery and itchy eyes
  • Wheezing coughs
  • Sinus blockage
  • Acute urticaria, etc.

Allergies might sometimes become severe. Thus it is best to get skin allergy testing done to determine the root cause of the allergy. It will help patients to avoid the elements that they are allergic to.

A skin allergy test is usually done by placing tiny portions of allergens on patients’ skin. If the skin reacts to the allergens, the patient is allergic to the particular substance. Let’s check out some allergens used for skin allergy testing.

What are the Types of Allergens Used for Skin Allergy Testing?

Allergens are elements that can cause allergic reactions to a patient’s body when tested. Primarily, there are three types of allergens used for skin allergy testing. They are:

  • Ingested Allergens

This allergen is typically contained in certain food items like meat, peanuts, seafood, soy, etc. So food is one of the main causes of various types of skin allergies. 

  • Inhaled Allergens

It usually affects the body when it comes in contact with the nostrils, lungs, or throat. The most significant example of inhaled allergen is pollen.

  • Contact Allergens

This allergen reacts only after coming in contact with the skin. An example of a contact allergen is poison ivy, which causes rash and itchiness to the skin.

Patients are usually exposed to a minor allergen in skin allergy tests to record the reaction.

Why is Skin Allergy Testing Performed?

A significant population of India is affected by allergies because of the excessive pollution around. Inhaled allergens usually cause the most common type of allergies. More than 250,000 deaths across the globe occur every year due to asthma. While chronic allergies generally cause asthma, you can avoid them with proper care.

Thus it is best to consider getting skin allergy tests to determine the elements you are allergic to. After that, you can get medical attention to treat your allergies and ultimately eliminate them. Moreover, you can avoid those substances that trigger your allergy.

What are the Ways to Prepare for Allergy Testing?

Before conducting skin allergy tests, healthcare practitioners usually go through your regular lifestyle and family history. Sometimes, they might also ask patients to terminate any ongoing medications as it can deliberately affect the test results.

Listed here are the medicines that patients must stop consuming before they can get their allergy tested:

  • Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline
  • Over-the-counter or prescribed antihistamines
  • Systemic corticosteroids (especially for patch allergy testing)
  • Heartburn medications like famotidine
  • Benzodiazepines like lorazepam or diazepam, etc.

The Procedure of Skin Allergy Testing

Skin allergy testing is usually conducted to determine the potential allergens. It includes contact, airborne, and food-related allergens. Skin allergy testing is generally of three types: intradermal, scratch, and patch tests.

Healthcare practitioners usually start with the scratch test. The liquid allergen of a specific substance is placed on the skin. After that, they puncture the allergen with a needle-like tool into the skin surface. The skin might or might not react to the foreign substance. If itchiness and swelling are noticed, the patient is likely to be allergic to that substance.

Sometimes, the scratch test is inconclusive. And that is when doctors recommend an intradermal skin test. Here, the allergens are injected into the dermis layer of the skin.

For patch tests, doctors involve adhesive patches loaded with suspected allergens. It helps in determining the causes of allergic contact dermatitis. It is usually reviewed after 48, 72, and 96 hours respectively, post-application.

To Conclude

After detecting the reacting allergens, you can avoid them with an easy plan. If you need to make significant changes in your diet, make sure you do so. You might also have to take certain medications to ease your symptoms.

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