Allergy Testing and Treatments
(or, To RAST or Not To RAST -- that is the
question!)

When it comes to allergy testing for food
allergies or environmental allergens, there are several choices
available to you. The question is, how do you choose among the
alternatives?
That was the question I was faced with
ten years ago, when I began to react to many different foods.
In my case, the answer was obvious; skin scratch tests revealed
so many positives that blood CAP RAST tests were called for. So
I had about 50 of them done -- an expensive proposition, to be
sure. In the end, some of the positives agreed with the skin
scratch tests, and some of the blood tests were negative. That
helped my allergist and me decide which foods we would do food
challenges on.
If the above paragraphs read like
gobbledygook, watch this this page for articles and other
information about different types of allergy testing. I'll
describe the legitimate, medically accepted and reliable types,
as well as allergy tests that are widely held to be more
questionable in nature.
Stay tuned!
© 2009 Allergytimes.com. All rights reserved. This article is
provided for general informational purposes only, and is not
intended to replace medical advice. When in doubt, please
consult with a licensed allergist.
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