Spring is in the air! Are you sneezing yet? Allergies are on the rise in the US, both seasonal allergies and food allergies. There have been clear indications that global warming has caused spring to begin earlier thus lengthening the “hay fever” season. In addition, the increase in CO2 is thought to make more people susceptible to allergies to pollens such as ragweed. Already one in ten of us in the United States tests positive for 
ragweed sensitivity. So, if you aren’t sneezing and rubbing your itchy eyes yet, you might be soon!
This doesn’t address any of the reasons for the increase in the US in food allergies such as the ubiquitous peanut allergy. If your child isn’t allergic to peanuts, it’s likely that one of his or her classmates is. There are many theories for the increase in food allergies including we’re too clean, we’re too dirty, maybe doctors are just diagnosing it more…we just don’t know. We do know that according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health allergies were two to five times higher in adults, depending on the allergen, in 1988-1994 than they were in 1976-1980. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported an increase of 18 percent
in food allergies in children from 1997 to 2007.
Whatever the cause or how you deal with your allergies, the method of determining exactly what you are allergic to was a painful process: skin pricks or scratches for each possible allergen and then watching to see which of them had reactions. What a lot of fun that is!! Have you had this test? Have you subjected your child to it? It’s uncomfortable for adults, but even worse for children. Fortunately there is a better option, the Spectrum Allergy test offered by ANY LAB TEST NOW® locations. With one simple blood test you and your doctor can identify a complete range of foods and pollens that you may be allergic to.
The science of a blood test for multiple allergens is more complex than the traditional skin test. Where the skin test exposes the skin and underlying blood and tissue to the allergen to watch for a localized reaction, the blood test puts the allergens in the blood and then measures the blood to look for a specific IgE antibody that is a direct measurement of an allergic reaction. Each allergen produces a specific IgE antibody so the test results will clearly show which allergen caused the response.
Many people avoid a certain food or pollen thinking this “might” be what is causing their suffering, but without an allergy test, it’s impossible to know. What if you’re avoiding the wrong food? Not only could you be missing out on something you really enjoy, but you could be setting yourself up for a bad reaction when you unknowingly eat the foods that you really are allergic to. Even if no one knows why we as a nation have become more sensitive to foods and pollens, at least we now have an easier way to find out what to avoid. Over time, reactions to allergens can become stronger and potentially life-threatening. We’ve all heard about the children who need to carry epinephrine pens in case they accidentally touch peanut butter, or the teenage girl who sadly passed away after kissing her boyfriend who had just eaten a peanut butter sandwich. Why wait until the reaction is lethal? If you suspect allergies in you or your child, take the simple Spectrum Allergy test available at ANY LAB TEST NOW® and find out.
