More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and of those, many have asthma as well. An allergy attack can be fatal if prompt medical attention isn’t given, so knowing your potential allergy triggers could save your life.
At Millenium Park Medical Associates in Chicago, Illinois, our expert team can perform skin testing to help identify which allergens cause your most severe reactions. Once you know what could trigger an allergy or asthma attack, you can take steps to avoid those triggers for a safer, healthier life.
Skin testing, also known as the skin prick test, can test up to 40 substances at a time. The skin on a patch of your back will be divided into a grid of tiny squares that correspond with a chart. Each square of skin will be pricked with a very fine needle coated with a specific allergen. Then we ask you to wait about 15 minutes for any reaction to show up.
The reaction in each square will show how allergic you are to that specific substance. After 15 minutes, if the area turns slightly red, there is a mild allergy. If a bunch of red bumps or a large welt appears, the allergy is more significant. It’s important to let us know if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any substance before we administer your skin prick test.
This type of skin allergy testing can determine your sensitivity to particular allergens. Your provider will choose which sets of allergens to test you for based on your symptoms, family history, and environment. We can do a skin allergy test for food allergens, outdoor and indoor allergens, insect allergens, pollen allergens, and even medication allergens.
After your reaction to each allergen is recorded, we go over your results with you. In most cases, common allergic reactions can be controlled with avoidance or with medication such as antihistamines. If you have a dangerous allergy, we may prescribe an epi-pen and show you how to use it.
Allergies to something in your indoor environment can cause chronic symptoms. Indoor allergens include:
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, or if your allergies are seasonal, your triggers could be one or more of the following outdoor allergens:
Food allergies are extremely common. Some people outgrow food allergies, but many do not. Food allergies can cause significant stomach upset, skin reactions such as hives, or more dangerous symptoms like anaphylaxis.
There are many different ways to treat allergies. We may recommend antihistamines or the avoidance of certain foods, pets, or environments. If you are allergic to a medication, you may need to wear an alert bracelet. For some, allergies can be treatable by slowly exposing your body to more and more of the allergen to build up a resistance.
To learn more about allergy testing and treatment, call our office at 720-928-5446.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Men and women go through different health conditions, but some health problems affect women diversely. In addition, many drug trials do not use female test subjects, and many conditions affecting women’s health go undiagnosed. Moreover, women face many health conditions, such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, heart attack, menopause, pregnancy, and more. In recent studies, […]
The PAP test, also known as a PAP smear, is done to provide your GYN with a quick and easy way to assess the condition of the cells in your cervix. Most women between the ages of 21 and 65 should get a PAP smear every three years, which is done in conjunction with a […]
You know that catching breast cancer early is best, but does that mean everyone needs to get screened? How do you know if and when you need to check for breast cancer? Find out here.
Millions of Americans suffer from diabetes. If you’re one of them, it’s critical that you understand which type you have, so you can manage your symptoms and control your blood sugar.
Burning when you pee, blood in your urine, an urgency to go but only a few drops come out — these are classic signs of urinary tract infection. Take a closer look at what’s going on when you get a UTI.
Itchy mouth, swollen lips, nausea, and diarrhea — these are symptoms of food allergies and sensitivities. Find out how a doctor can help you identify your trigger foods with an elimination diet.
