There is a detailed list of medications provided below that must be stopped prior to testing.
No. The benefit of the allergy testing is that it’s more specific than skin testing for allergies, but does not have any risks, such as local or systemic reactions (anaphylaxis).
These tests reveal not only whether you are allergic to common environmental elements, but also quantified each allergen on a scale from 1-6, with the higher the number indicating more sensitivity to that particular allergen. We use these differences to determine starting points for your allergy treatment.
If you can control your allergy symptoms with a single daily medication with possibly the addition of a second allergy medicine during seasonal flare-ups, then you should utilize the allergy test results and make environmental changes as necessary. However, if you need two or more medications seasonally or year-round, and despite these medicines continue to have break-through symptoms, you should consider immunotherapy.
Often, children are started on allergy treatment too soon. Staring too soon is ineffective due to rapid immune system changes occurring in young children. Often, the child’s maturity level is not adequate for weekly allergy shots. We have found that allergy test results become more uniform from year-to-year in children between the ages of seven and nine. Children this age are usually mature enough to handle a weekly injection. With sublingual delivery of immunotherapy becoming a mainstay of treatment we are able to treat children earlier comfortably
Yes. Although skin manifestations of allergies may or may not be IgE mediated, most children, especially infants, will have positive test results on allergenex/immunoCAP and benefit significantly from the information as a guide for their diet.
Well, it is not unusual for patients to be treated for allergies or have allergy symptoms, but not actually have IgE mediated allergies. This doesn’t mean that environmental elements can’t or don’t affect you; it just means your immune system isn’t sensized to those elements.
Most patients will notice a difference within 4-6 months, and all should benefit by 12 months. This assumes no break in therapy, so it’s important that you do not miss your treatment doses.
Some patients who suffered from allergies as a youth and underwent immunotherapy will have IgE hypersensitivity return later in life. You can benefit again from immunotherapy as an adult.
No. They will slowly decrease after you stop therapy. But, a deeper level of your immune system termed the T helper cells, which control the type of IgE your body makes, changes after you have been on shots for a few years which can lead to the permanent benefit, or cure, for your allergies.
The tests you are describing evaluate for IgG recognition of those substances. There is no evidence that IgG mediates any reactions in our bodies to those substances. It merely reflects that your body has been exposed to them.
No. patients with hives typically are negative on allergy assessment, except being an allergic food trigger. We provide services in Frisco, Mckinney, Texas.