Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
What You Need To Know About Allergy Skin Prick Testing
Julio Carr
Allergic reactions can cause problems for a lot of people. Even if your reaction isn't life-threatening, the itchy eyes, scratchy throat, and runny nose that accompany an allergic reaction can be difficult to deal with.
In order to reduce the effect allergies have on your day-to-day life, you must identify what it is that you are allergic to. This is where allergy testing comes in.
A doctor can perform a skin prick test to help identify which allergens cause a negative reaction within your body.
What is a Skin Prick Test?
A skin prick test is a simple tool used by doctors to identify a patient's allergies. Common allergens are introduced into the body via a series of needle pricks.
A doctor will label each skin prick and monitor how your body reacts to the associated allergen. Any skin pricks that start to develop redness or welts indicate that you are allergic to the substance that was on the needle which made that specific prick.
Your doctor can use this information to help formulate a treatment plan that will minimize your allergic response to that substance.
Are Skin Prick Tests Accurate?
If you are going to subject yourself to a series of skin pricks, you want to know that the results of the test will be as accurate as possible. Doctors use a couple of different methods to ensure that skin prick tests provide accurate results.
First, the doctor will administer a histamine prick. All bodies should display a visible reaction to histamine, so if you don't respond to the histamine prick your doctor will know that additional testing is required. Individuals who have no histamine response will need to speak with their allergist to determine what happens next.
Second, a doctor will also administer a saline prick. Saline is a benign substance that should not trigger a reaction. If you do display a visible reaction to the saline prick, the doctor will know that your skin is extremely sensitive and could provide false positives on the skin prick test.
Are Skin Prick Tests Dangerous?
Anyone who suffers from allergies could potentially have a severe reaction to their allergen.
Skin prick tests only introduce a small amount of the allergen to your system. This trace amount typically isn't enough to cause a life-threatening reaction.
In the event that you do respond negatively to a skin prick, doctors always keep epinephrine nearby when conducting allergy tests so that they can stop negative reactions before they escalate.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.