A certified allergy and immunology physician will diagnose an allergy on the basis of a detailed medical history and physical examination. A series of skin tests will confirm the diagnosis. The allergist will use the results to correlate the symptoms and discuss treatment plan.
The blood tests are not as good as the skin tests when it comes to diagnosing allergies. It can be useful if the skin is too damaged for testing, or if the patient is taking that may interfere with the skin tests.
There are three principles in allergy treatment. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:
Avoidance. The triggers must first be identified then avoided. Depending on your allergy, this principle may be easier for some than others. It would be, for example, impossible to completely avoid pollen exposure. The allergist can recommend environmental control measures that have been scientifically proven to reduce symptoms.
Medications. There are many allergy drugs that can be used alone or in combination to help control your symptoms. These are safe and effective for most people.
Immunotherapy or Allergy Vaccines. You may know these as 'allergy shots'. If after avoidance and fail to adequately control the symptoms, specific allergen immunotherapy may be needed. It is the only treatment available today that will change your immune system to make you less allergic.
No, most people do not grow out of an allergy. Your symptoms may evolve over time, but it does not mean that your allergies and changing too. However, infants who develop food allergies, especially to cow's milk, can lose their sensitivities if the offending food is strictly eliminated from the diet.
Yes, new allergic reactions can develop at any age. As long as the immune system is functioning, you can develop an allergy.
Most airborne allergies like pollens, mold and dust mites do not cause fatal allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. The most common causes of anaphylaxis include foods (shellfish, fish, peanuts and tree nuts), stinging insects (honeybees, yellow jackets, hornets and wasps), drugs (antibiotics, seizure ) and latex.
If you have experienced anaphylaxis in the past, you should definitely wear ID bracelets and carry with you an emergency kit containing epinephrine and antihistamine.
Allergists are also trained and certified to evaluate the immune functions. Children can have perfectly intact immune systems and still experience frequent infections. Immune deficiencies are rare, but should be considered if the infections are unusually persistent or aggressive, or if there is a family history of immune diseases.
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