4 Valuable Reasons To Get Allergy Testing
Individuals with allergies face obstacles that non-allergy sufferers may not understand. Their allergies may be triggered by strong odors, food, fabrics, environmental triggers such as pollen, or everyday solutions such as laundry detergent. Allergy sufferers may have more than one allergy, which can complicate matters as they seek to get relief. Sometimes allergies worsen and individuals might face life-threatening situations. Individuals who want concrete details about their allergies or the allergies of a loved one can request to get allergy testing performed. The following points highlight a few of the benefits of choosing this potentially life-saving healthcare service.
Avoid Serious Consequences
Sometimes the discovery of what an individual is allergic to can lead to them knowing to avoid the known allergens. Continued exposure to certain allergens can cause serious issues that may require aggressive treatments such as having to keep an EpiPen available at all times. EpiPens are used for emergency situations when an individual has a response to a known allergen. The medical pens contain epinephrine, which counteracts the allergic response. Repeated exposure to allergens can create severe allergic responses. This is one of the reasons why allergy testing early on is a good idea.
Avoid Accidental Intake of Allergens
Individuals with food allergies can be proactive about their diet choices. Parents can advise their children's schools of foods they are allergic to, which can reduce the chances of accidental ingestion and missed days out of school. Adults who dine out can ask about certain dishes and preparation to ensure they do not consume food that will cause an inflammatory response.
Make Appropriate Lifestyle Changes
It is not uncommon for a household to have only one member who has allergies. Determining what causes their allergic responses can encourage lifestyle changes such as not leaving windows open when pollen counts are high, changing laundry detergents, avoiding the use of tobacco indoors, separate meal preps to avoid cross-contamination with known food allergens.
Determine Whether an Allergy Persists
There is a phenomenon that some individuals experience. They may "outgrow" allergies as they age. For example, some individuals may be allergic to tobacco smoke as children and have respiratory issues that cause bronchitis and childhood asthma. As adults, they may not experience any reaction to smoke.
Some primary care physicians (PCPs) do not offer allergy testing, but they can refer their patients to a testing location. Individuals can use the testing results as a resource to protect against allergic reactions. The test results can be supplied to their PCPs who may be able to create an allergy treatment plan. Some individuals have severe allergies that require an allergist to monitor them in conjunction with the healthcare services provided by their PCPs.
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