Blood Test And Skin Prick Are Not 100% Foolproof In Determining Allergy
Traditionally blood tests and skin-prick were done to diagnose allergy but recent studies defines that they may not be enough. Over indulgence on traditional methods means overlooking symptoms from environmental factors such as food related allergy. Tests revealed that an over indulgence in blood tests and skin-prick actually can lead to misdiagnosis.
Doctors are recommended to undertake such tests only to confirm suspicions based on allergy symptoms and medical history of the patient. Research had shown that within the last twenty years the number of people suffering from allergies has trebled and it is estimated that about one third of the population will face allergy at some point in their lives. But according to a new research carried out by allergists from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York defines that many people have been wrongly diagnosed.
According to lead researcher Robert Wood, allergy tests such as blood tests and skin-prick can help in diagnosis but these medical tests do not indicate with 100% accuracy the presence of a disease. In fact he says that there have been cases where children who displayed positive test results did not have allergy whereas children who had negative results developed symptoms of allergy.
Skin testing is done by exposing the skin to very small amounts of allergen. If the skin reacts to allergens then it is confirmed that the patient’s body is producing antibodies to battle the allergens. In case of blood tests IgE levels in the blood are measured. Higher IgE levels that the person is allergic. But experts believe that in several cases even though patients may have high levels of IgE and show positive test results for skin they may still not have allergy.
Previous studies have shown that up to 8% of children display positive test results of allergy but only 1% of them are clinically serious. But this doesn’t mean that it is to be taken lightly. Untreated allergy is not only serious it can be life threatening. During the last 2 decades there has been a 200% rise in the number of people reporting anaphylactic shock. Anaphylaxis is a serious case of allergy where a number of serious symptoms such as low blood pressure, breathlessness happen in quick succession and if untreated can result in death.
In order to avoid such cases it is crucial that diagnosis of allergy be done carefully. Skin-prick and blood tests are important in diagnosis but they are not absolute.
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