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Allergy Prick Testing



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on May 21, 2010
Allergy Prick Test

An allergy is the abnormal reaction of the human body’s immune system. This abnormal reaction is caused by the body coming into contact with a substance that is not necessarily harmful to the body but one that causes the immune system to perceive a threat and to mobilize itself. Exposure to the substance, known as an allergen, can occur through touch, through breathing it in or through consuming food that may contain the allergen. An allergic reaction causes the immune system to attack the healthy cells of the body in the area that has been infiltrated by the allergen. Because the allergen is not actually dangerous, the body cells get damaged during such a reaction. This damage is represented by mild to extreme rashes or may be in the form of an inflammation which can occur in one part or across the entire body. This inflammation may become a medical emergency if it hampers a person’s ability to breathe or if it affects their heart function. It is therefore important for a person to get checked for various allergies, particularly if a mild attack has happened in the past in order to prevent the person from suffering from an allergy when no medical help is available. Such a situation can prove to be fatal.

Allergy prick testing is a method of testing a patient for an allergic reaction by exposing a part of the skin to the allergen. In this procedure, the particular allergen is injected just below the surface of the skin. The area is then marked and then the doctor will wait for a reaction. Some allergens produce reactions within seconds while others may take days. A reaction to this test means that the person is almost surely suffering from an allergy to that particular substance. Skin prick testing is used extensively as it is a rapid and accurate test for allergies.

Prick testing has its limitations. Firstly, the test can only identify one allergen at a time and needs to be repeated for every allergen that needs to be tested. This can be uncomfortable for a patient. Furthermore, a patient who is currently suffering from an allergic reaction is not in a position to be exposed to more allergens. Secondly, this sort of test exposes the person to an allergen. While all precautions should be and usually are taken, the patient’s allergy may be serious enough to trigger a violent reaction to the allergen which can be potentially harmful.

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