What Causes Allergy Tendency?

The actual cause of allergy tendency in a person is yet to be defined. Most of the time, allergy runs in the family. If you come from a family with nut allergy, you are most likely to have the same intolerance level to nuts. Although there are cases wherein you will not get the same allergy tendency that your family has.

Genetic Mutation

The exact mechanism why allergy can run in a family is not fully clear. Genetic mutation can be a factor. Genetic mutation can make the immune system intolerant to some substances. Family members with the same genetic mutation may have the same level of intolerance to substances.

Damaged Immune System

When a person has been attacked by a severe virus infection, the immune system is affected. The virus may weaken the immune system in its level of tolerance to certain substances. This explains why some people develop allergy later in their lives. For instance, they may not be allergic to nuts before but after a serious virus infection, they may have developed this form of allergy to nuts.

Over Cleanliness

Our body should be immune to certain types of germs. Some people are over clean. When a child, for instance, is obsessively clean, he may not be able to grasp any dirt at all. A good level of dirt is good for us especially during the early years as it helps us get immune to a lot of things.

New Technologies

Partly to be blamed for allergy is the new technology. Carpet becomes the home of dust mites, which a lot of people are addicted to. Air conditioners can bring in a lot of different types of allergens inside the house or office. Perfumes are everywhere and certain scents can cause allergic reactions to some people.

Tracing the actual cause of allergy tendency can be endless. There are a lot more possible causes of allergy tendency. Even if you don’t have any allergy tendency in your early years, don’t be too confident as you may have it later in your life. The best way to prevent and treat allergy is to identify it even before it becomes serious.

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Since many tests work better than others depending on your specific allergy, it is recommended that you make sure you are familiar with the various kinds of allergy tests prior to making an appointment with your doctor. The basic tests fall into three areas: Scratch tests, elimination tests, and blood tests.

Scratch Tests

The scratch tests are the most common of the allergy tests that are done. This test consists of placing a small amount of the suspected allergen onto the surface of the patient’s skin, and then making a scratch or prick to allow the substance to penetrate the skin. The site is then observed closely for indication of an allergic reaction.

Swelling, redness, or itching are signs that an allergic reaction has occurred. A result can often be detected in as little as twenty minutes using this type of testing. The other advantage to this kind of test is that many different allergens can be tested together. This makes this method especially useful if the allergen is unknown, airborne, or a food allergy.

Elimination Diets

If a food allergy is suspected, the elimination diet may be performed. A variety of foods that are potential allergens are eliminated form the diet for several weeks. Each food is then gradually added back to the person’s diet, with attention being mad to see which of the selections of food is causing the allergy symptoms to return.

This method of allergy testing works best with mild allergic reactions. However, it can pose a potential danger to patients who have severe, anaphylactic allergies. If there is a severe allergy suspected, a third method of allergy testing is preferred to ensure the safety of the patient. Thus, a life-threatening substance is not placed into the system of the allergy sufferer.

Blood Tests

The last type of allergy testing is the blood test, commonly called the RAST test. This is performed in the laboratory and uses blood that has been drawn for the patient. The blood is examined for presence of immunoglobulin antibodies. These will indicate if the body is producing an allergic reaction. Elevated levels of IGE’s can tell your doctor if you are allergic to certain types of allergens. This method is not always accurate or precise as are the other methods. Should your doctor decide to have allergy testing done, he will examine your family medical history and tell you when to stop your medications.

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Sources: EzineArticles.com