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Allergy Testing in Children Before any allergy testing is undertaken it is important for the parent to ask themselves a number of questions. Does my child have any symptoms? When do these symptoms occur? Do they happen immediately after he is exposed to something or eats a certain food? Most food allergies cause symptoms within minutes and up to a few hours. Do the symptoms occur every time that he is exposed to something? If you suspect a food allergy have you tried to eliminate certain suspect foods from his diet to see if the symptoms disappear? Foods that can cause allergies include milk, eggs, peanuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish and tree nuts. If you are attempting discover what your child is allergic to, then it is a good idea to try and restrict his exposure to the most common things that trigger allergies in children. These include dust mite, mould and certain animal fur. Other common allergens include pollen, grass, weeds, trees, medications and insect bites or stings. These types of allergies are easier to detect, since allergies to plants should be seasonal. Reactions to medications or insect bites will only occur after these specific triggers. Also, allergy testing can not detect every possible allergen. So your child may still be allergic to something, even though all of his tests are normal. Once an allergic reaction is suspected, you need to identify the exact allergen causing it. To do so, you'll probably need to perform specific allergy testing. Your GP will take a full medical history, including symptoms, details of when they occur and any other relevant information. From this medical history, he will be able to produce a short list of allergens that he suspects are causing the symptoms. Appropriate testing can then be arranged. Once the allergy has been identified he will be able to offer treatment and advice.
Skin-prick testThis is the most common allergy test and, performed correctly, has a high degree of accuracy. A small needle is used to scratch the skin gently through a droplet of fluid containing a known allergen. In most cases, clinics use purified liquid forms of the allergen, but sometimes you may be asked to bring a fresh sample (especially if the suspected allergen is food). The test is usually done on the forearm, although with young children it may be done on the back so they can't see what's happening. It isn't painful and results are immediately available. Children can be safely skin tested from four months of age. A positive reaction occurs when the skin around the needle prick becomes itchy with redness and develops a white swelling called a wheal. Blood testsA tiny sample of blood is taken. The amount of specific immunoglobulin E antibodies (IgE) to inhalants and foods in your blood is measured. IgE causes histamine to be released when you are exposed to various allergens. The test is safer than a skin-prick test, as you're not directly exposed to the allergen. It is now possible to test for certain allergies e.g. hayfever, house dust mite, cat, egg, milk using a home test kit. For more information on allergy testing at home please click here.
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