Allergen Detection

In fact, we will inevitably encounter this situation in life. After we finish eating, especially seafood, we will find that a certain part of the body suddenly becomes itchy, and after scratching it with our hands, it not only fails to relieve the itching, but the itching becomes worse. The area around the scratched part becomes red, and sometimes a circle of small bumps will appear, which is very uncomfortable. Everyone can basically guess that it is an allergy, but they don’t know why it happens, and they don’t know what it is.

Allergies often occur in our daily lives because there are many allergens in reality. Because people's physiques are different, everyone's allergens are basically different. Some people are allergic to seafood, and some are even allergic to rice. So, how do we detect allergens?

Clinically, the occurrence and development of many skin diseases are related to contact with allergens. Clinically, most patients with allergic diseases usually only receive treatment to relieve symptoms without finding the real cause of the allergy. Therefore, they cannot carry out targeted prevention and treatment, which leads to repeated aggravation of the disease and prolonged illness. Therefore, it is recommended that patients who often suffer from allergies must undergo allergen screening tests to find out whether the allergic reaction is caused by contact, ingestion or inhalation allergens, so as to fundamentally solve the problem. Never treat allergies as a minor illness and ignore examination and treatment, which will eventually lead to serious consequences.

The test kits currently used in hospitals for allergen testing can be roughly divided into the following types: 1. Screening test for inhaled allergens; 2. Screening test for ingested allergens; 3. Classification test for inhaled allergens (this test kit can detect the specific inhaled substances that cause allergic reactions, such as dust mites, pollen, etc.); 4. Classification test for ingested allergens (it can also detect the specific foods that cause allergies).

There are currently two methods for testing allergens: one is the prick test and the other is the patch test.

The prick test can be regarded as a special intradermal test and is an in vivo allergen detection method currently advocated internationally, especially in Europe and the United States. Because the amount of skin prick fluid is only one ten-thousandth of that of intradermal test, it is safe, sensitive and accurate. It has gradually replaced the traditional intradermal test because the skin lesions are small and the patient feels no pain, just like being bitten by a mosquito.

The application of patch testing has a history of one hundred years. Its reliability in diagnosing contact dermatitis and certain allergic skin diseases has been fully demonstrated, which has promoted the development of contact dermatitis and skin allergy testing. Our hospital uses European standardized testing reagents, which ensure accurate testing.

We may develop physical allergies due to various reasons in our lives. When we are allergic, the first thing we should do is not to panic, and the second is not to scratch with our hands, because there will be a lot of bacteria on our hands, some of which will invade the human body and cause harm to our body. If we have allergies, our first reaction should be to go to the hospital for an allergen test, because only by detecting the allergen can we avoid it in our future life.