Solve The Food Allergy Mystery By Visiting An Allergist

Many people are allergic to certain types of food. If you find yourself breaking out in hives, or getting some other reaction, then you need to determine what exactly it is that is making you ill. You can speak with an allergist and discuss the situation. They will likely want to narrow down a list of what are the likely culprits. Some things, such as shellfish, are easy to rule out for some people. If you're a vegan, for instance, you don't have to test for that. Other things, however, such as tomatoes, eggs, and soy can be sneaky and get into many meals as minor ingredients, so they will have to be tested. Here are the different ways your allergist can test you.

Skin Tests

The benefit to a skin test is that you get the results rather quickly. There are three types of skin tests. Here's a brief description of each.

Simple Skin Prick

These are the simplest types of allergy tests. What the allergist will do is take a bit of the possible allergen, mix it with a neutral solution, and then prick an area on your skin. They will mark the skin with identifiers in ink and then see where on your arm you develop a slight rash. The area with the rash will correspond to an allergen, and you will then know what item to avoid.

Injection Under The Dermal Layer

This method is used for people who don't have a reaction to the simple skin prick. In this method, a needle is used. The allergist will use a syringe to inject a very tiny amount of allergen solution into the dermal layer.

Skin Patch Method

This method is done without using needles or pricking the skin. It involves using adhesive patches that are coated with the allergen and attached to your skin for a period of time. The patches are then removed and the allergist will look for signs of allergic reaction. This is great for people who are afraid of needles.

Blood Testing

The other main type of testing is done using blood. This is used for people who may not have strong skin reactions (perhaps they get headaches, or nausea, instead of rashes) or perhaps they have dark skin which makes it difficult to see small reactions.

The allergist will draw your blood and then administer small amounts of potential allergens to the blood. If your blood creates antibodies, then the allergist will know that you are allergic to this particular item. For more information, visit sites like http://www.billingsclinic.com.

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