What are allergies?
An allergy is when your body reacts to a foreign substance, such as pollen, food, or pet dander, and causes a damaging response.
Allergy symptoms vary depending on the allergen and can affect your airways, sinuses, skin, and digestive system. Allergic responses can be mild, such as a rash, or they can be severe, such as swelling of your airways.
What is allergy testing?
Allergy testing is conducted to find out if your body will have a reaction to a known substance. A trained allergy specialist can test for allergies through blood work, skin tests, or elimination diets.
What types of allergies can be tested for?
The most common allergies for testing include:
- Airborne allergens such as pollen, animal dander, dust mites, and mold
- Certain foods, particularly peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, eggs, and milk
- Insect stings like a bee or wasp
- Medications, particularly penicillin or penicillin-based antibiotics
- Latex or other substances you touch that can cause allergic skin reactions
Your doctor at Los Angeles Heart Specialists can provide more information on how to test for each of these allergies and also explore testing for allergies not listed above.
What are the benefits of allergy blood testing?
While there are several ways to test for allergies, blood tests can be the ideal method for a number of reasons.
You should get an allergy blood test if you:
- Use certain medications that interfere with test results (antihistamines, steroids, and some antidepressants)
- Want to avoid skin testing, which requires multiple needle scratches on the skin’s surface
- Have an unstable heart condition
- Have poorly controlled asthma
- Have severe eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, or other severe skin condition
- Could have an extreme reaction during skin testing or have a history of life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
Blood tests are also a great way to measure how well your allergy treatment is working. Additionally, they can show if you have outgrown your allergy.
How do allergy blood tests work?
When you come into contact with an allergen, your body reacts by producing antibodies. These allergen-specific antibodies can be detected and measured through blood tests.
Your doctor or nurse at Los Angeles Heart Specialists will take draw a small sample of blood to be sent to their on-site lab. It provides fast results, allowing for peace of mind and swiftly exploring treatment or lifestyle options.
What treatments are available?
If you have a positive result from your blood test, your doctor at Los Angeles Heart Specialists extensively explores possible treatment options. Depending on your allergy type, severity, and symptoms, your doctor may suggest treatments ranging from simple lifestyle changes to medication.
If you’re tired of dealing with allergies and want to know what’s causing them, give the office a call today or book your appointment online today. The team at Los Angeles Heart Specialists is ready to help.
