Spotting the Culprit: Food Allergy Blood Test



A simple food allergy can change the way a person live his or her life for it basically makes this person a little altered than his or her allergy-free contemporaries. Allergies with certain types of food are caused by a specific chemical that is a common chemical ingredient in that same food. So, it is not surprising that an allergy to food may also cause a reaction to medications which subsequently leads to an alteration in medications, too.

As a result, medical professionals have been finding ways to detect food allergies as early as possible before the reactions take place. There are numerous testing processes that they utilize in finding out whether a patient is allergic to certain types of chemicals. One of these tests includes blood testing.

But before going further about blood testing, you should first understand what goes on inside the body during the allergic process.

There are two ways that the immune system reacts to an allergy. One approach is that the body, after the detection of allergens, generates immunoglobulin E or IgE which is a kind of antibody. IgE is then disseminated in the blood stream. The other approach is the occurrence of mast cells. Mast cells appear in the body tissues particularly in common allergy sites like the throat, nasal cavity, oral cavity, skin, lungs, and the organs of the gastrointestinal system.

There are cases that the capacity to produce immunoglobulin E to fight off a certain food allergen is in inherited. Individuals who are at higher risk in being afflicted with food allergies are those who have blood relations who have suffered from asthma, eczema, and hay fever.

Furthermore, an individual must initially be in contact with the potential food allergen before his or her body produces the antibody IgE. As the individual is finally exposed to the allergen the IgE is then produced and consequently fastens itself to the mast cells. This team up will eventually cause body chemical reactions the next time the allergen is eaten by the hapless individual.

Now, this immunoglobulin E is important in the detection for allergies through blood testing. The most frequently utilized blood tests are Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and CAP-RAST (which is basically similar to RAST but more advanced).

In blood tests, the outcome is ranked from one to six, with one the least positive and six the most. Blood tests can be utilized in individuals afflicted with a severe case of eczema since this type of testing can not be influenced by antihistamines.

Following the drawing of blood samples, it is then sent away to the laboratories for further evaluation. Blood tests can be pretty much expensive and results are not immediately available for the patient to know whether they are allergic to certain food or not.

Eventually, an allergy is diagnosed when the medical professionals detected the presence of the immunoglobulin E or IgE in the patient’s blood. But the results of the blood test can not identify if there is a close connection between the existence of IgE and the allergy’s intensity. There are even cases wherein the results are negative although the patient manifests symptoms of food allergy.

In case, blood tests fail there are still other tests that the medical professionals may utilize to size up your allergy. These tests may include skin prick tests, elimination diets, and food challenges.

Furthermore, feel free to ask questions to the medical professionals concerning the results to better understand your condition.




Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

Symptoms, Diagnosis, And Treatments Of Food Allergy In Cats
Allergy-free Dog Food, Is It The Best Solution?
Child Food Allergy: How To Effectively Manage It
A Survival Guide To Overcome And Recover From A Food Allergy
Having A Hidden Allergy Can Contribute To Making You Ill
Warning Signs Of Food Allergies
Food Allergy Overview And How To Fight It
Food Allergy Management At Schools
Eczema And Food Allergy; Are They Really Related To Each Other
Recipes For People Who Are Allergy-Sensitive
Spotting The Culprit: Food Allergy Blood Test
Dog's With A Food Allergy: Treating And Managing Your Dog's Allergy
Food Allergy And Anaphylaxis In An Irritating Nutshell
At War With Food: The Cause Of Food Allergy
Food Allergy And Asthma
Your Cat And Food Allergy
Easy Guidelines On Fighting Food Allergy Through Allergens-Free Diet
Managing Your Child's Food Allergies Effectively
Common Food Allergy: Effectively Managing Food Allergies
Fighting Off Food Allergy Reactions
Food Allergy Survival Guide: A Book That Truly Cares
Food Allergy And Food Intolerance: Identification And Treatment
Your Hidden Food Allergy Or Allergies Are Making You Fat
Cure For Food Allergy With Psychological Origin






My Articles


Fighting Off Food Allergy Reactions Allergies to food are commonly dealt with by the avoidance of the al..


Food Allergy And Asthma There have been a lot of studies about food allergy that involves..


Managing Your Child's Food Allergies Effectively Allergy is one of the most common diseases existing in society..


Eczema And Food Allergy; Are They Really Related To Each Other Eczema is a type of skin ailment that usually comes with itching, skin..



Related Videos:

Related News:

 
No item elements found in rss feed.