Allergic reactions can range from sneezing fits and body rashes to severe stomach discomfort and breathing problems. If you have allergies, there’s hope: allergy testing has come a long way in the past few decades, and there are innovative treatments that can reduce your sensitivity to many common allergens.
Here at Pineapple Health in Phoenix, Dr. Kevin Chan can order allergy testing for you and use the results to help design a course of immunotherapy treatment to help decrease your reactions to allergens.
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Allergic reactions are caused by the immune system
If your body recognizes a common substance as a threat, it kicks your immune system into overdrive. This can cause cramping and diarrhea, rashes or hives, sneezing and itchy eyes, or even swelling of the throat and airway. If the body’s immune response can be tapered down, you may get relief from these types of symptoms.
Common types of allergens
You can be allergic to just one thing or many things. People with one type of allergy have an increased risk of becoming allergic to other things, especially allergens in the same group (such as foods, animals, plants, or medications).
Some of the most common allergens include:
- Biological allergens, such as animal dander, dust mite waste, and cockroaches
- Organic plant allergens, such as pollens, saps, and resins
- Pharmaceutical allergens, such as penicillin, codeine, and sulfa drugs
- Food-based allergens, such as milk, soy, wheat, nuts, shellfish, and eggs
- Insect venom, such as that from bees, wasps, and mosquitoes
- Spores, such as those found in mold and funguses
- Common materials, such as latex or certain metals
Allergy testing
There are several different types of allergy tests that can help diagnose your triggers. Skin tests are still one of the most common methods — with a skin test, a grid is laid out on your back, and each square in the grid is pricked with a tiny needle coated with a potential type of allergen.
The grid corresponds to a chart that can be filled in with your body’s response to each test sample. If the area becomes irritated, there is a definite response. The amount of irritation indicates the severity of each allergy.
Certain types of allergies can be identified with a blood test. An elimination diet can be used to screen solely for food allergies.
Allergy immunotherapy
Allergy immunotherapy, or allergy shots, can help desensitize you to certain allergens over time. Dr. Chan will inject tiny, controlled amounts of an allergen into your body. Each shot will have a little more of the allergen in it, allowing your body to slowly build an immunity to the allergen.
If you have allergies that are negatively impacting your life, call us today to schedule your allergy test or immunotherapy session, or book an appointment using our handy online scheduling tool.