Cases when a baby develops an unreasonable rash, runny nose, watery eyes, diarrhea, cough, always disturb parents and force them to look for the causes of such symptoms. In the article, we will consider when an allergy test is prescribed for a child.
At present, allergic reactions, in particular in childhood, are far from uncommon. This is mainly due to poor environmental conditions, which negatively affects the immune system. To identify provoking factors, laboratory and test studies can be applied, which significantly help in the treatment of allergies.
Allergy testing for a child
When a child develops pollinosis, skin tests are prescribed to determine the allergen.
A study is performed by applying a solution containing an allergen to slightly damaged skin, after which an assessment of the developing reaction to contact with a provocative agent is carried out. The main indications for conducting such a test can be suchdeviations like:
- Allergic dermatitis.
- Asthma.
- Bronchoconstriction.
- Conjunctivitis.
- Hay hay fever.
In addition to these conditions, tests are indicated in the presence of food allergies, after the onset of anaphylactic shock or angioedema.
Anesthetic allergy tests are also often given to children.
They are appropriate if the child has the following symptoms, not justified by other causes of development:
- Skin and other reactions that develop after an animal or insect bite, the use of drugs, the use of household chemicals.
- Diarrhea, stomach pain.
- Skin swelling.
- Burning, itchy feeling in the eyes.
- Severe tearing, inflammation of the tissues that form the organs of vision.
- Nasal congestion.
- Appearance of a rash.
- Seasonal, chronic rhinitis.
Perform skin tests for allergic responses only after a month has passed after the development of primary allergy symptoms. This is due to the fact that an earlier study may give unreliable results. In addition, it is forbidden to do skin tests during an exacerbation of allergies.
Skin tests should be carried out only by an allergist and exclusively in a specially equipped room. Compliance with this rule allows you to guarantee not only a reliable result, but also minimizes the likely risks of developmentcomplications that require immediate medical attention.
Types of substances provocateurs
Substances-provocateurs used for skin allergy tests for a child are conditionally classified into several types:
- Straight. In this case, the allergen used is in its pure form.
- Indirect. In this case, the blood serum of a person suffering from an allergic reaction is used.
All allergenic substances are divided into types according to the methods of their application:
- Cold and heat (thermal).
- Intradermal.
- Drip.
- Applique.
- Scarification (prick tests).
What kind of allergy tests do children, it is important to find out in advance.
Preparing a child
Before the procedure, doctors usually recommend following these simple and no-action rules:
- The use of antihistamine medications should be discontinued.
- Exclude increased physical and psycho-emotional activity.
- It is recommended not to use new foods in the diet (especially if skin tests are prescribed to identify a food provoking factor).
- Children should be morally prepared for skin allergy tests - explain that the pain they will feel will be insignificant, it should not be afraid.
As a rule, such studies are well tolerated by children who are over 5 years old, since the childat this age it is much easier to prepare for painless injections and scarification of the skin.
Are there age restrictions
At what age can this study be carried out? In general, blood samples can be taken from birth.
In this way, specific immunoglobulin IG E can be detected. Its presence indicates an allergic reaction. A blood test is performed both during the period of exacerbation and during the period of remission.
Skin tests are taken from children from 3-5 years old and only outside of acute manifestations of allergies.
Age restrictions may be waived at:
- protracted runny nose (while there are no other signs of a cold);
- constant sore throat;
- itching and rashes on the skin that do not go away on their own;
- breathing difficulties;
- disappearance of symptoms due to the use of antihistamines.
Is it always possible to do allergy tests for a child?
Contraindications
Before prescribing the procedure, the allergist will definitely find out if the child has any of the following contraindications:
- Presence of oncological processes.
- History of history of seizures.
- Having a complicated allergic reaction.
- Presence in the body of acute or chronic pathologies in a state of exacerbation.
If there is a need (for example, there are doubts aboutregarding the exacerbation of chronic pathologies), the doctor may prescribe additional diagnostic tests or refer for consultations with specialized specialists.
How are children tested for allergies?
Procedure
Drip allergy test. It is one of the types of skin test, the implementation of which is absolutely non-invasive, since in the process a drop of histamine solution with an allergen is applied to the skin. The place of the drip allergy test is the area of the shoulder blades or forearms.
The main indications for the appointment of a drip skin test - detection:
- Reactions to pet birds, animals.
- Household, pollen allergens.
Application allergy test
This type of skin test is performed using small pieces of gauze or cotton pads that are pre-soaked in an allergen solution. They are applied to the skin and secured with adhesive tape or plastic wrap.
This action allows the provoking substance to penetrate the body with greater activity. Thus, results can be obtained much faster, and they will be more reliable.
Scarification tests (prick tests)
This type of allergy test for a child is performed after a slight irritation of the skin. For this, scarifier needles are used. Drops of an allergenic solution are applied to the resulting damage. If the procedure is performed for children under 12 years old, then for one testonly 1-2 provocative substances can be used. After 12 years, about 15 irritants can be used in one treatment.
The described test allows you to identify the agent that provokes allergies. Scarification tests are considered to be more reliable than application and drip tests. In addition, the reliability of the test is increased by performing a prick test, in which the skin is not scratched with a scarifier, but is pierced.
Intradermal Allergy Test
This type of skin test is performed by subcutaneously injecting an allergen solution with a fine needle. A similar test is indicated in order to detect sensitivity to certain microorganisms (fungi, bacteria). Modern doctors perform the following tests in a similar way:
- Pirke.
- Kasoni.
- Mantu.
Thermal allergy tests. These tests can be thermal or cold. Execute them using:
- Tubes filled with ice or hot (42 degrees) water.
- Pieces of ice.
Evaluation of the result of an allergy test is made on the fact of the appearance of a blister on the skin. In such cases, the skin test is considered positive to the influence of the applied thermal factor.
Evaluation rules
Evaluation of skin allergy tests should be carried out exclusively by an allergist who has sufficient experience in the use of such diagnostic methods. Allergy test results may be as follows:
- Doubtful.
- Weakly positive.
- Positive.
- Negative.
The result is considered positive if the skin is red or swollen.
Negative reactions after allergy tests
In some cases, a small patient during a skin test may develop reactions of varying severity:
- Itching, rashes all over the body.
- Severe irritation in the test area.
- Squeezing feeling in the sternum when breathing.
- Heavy blood pressure, manifested by fainting and dizziness.
- Discomfort in the intestines, abdomen.
The indicated symptomatology, as a rule, develops within a few hours after the test and can persist throughout the day. Severe side effects can cause severe complications, in some cases leading to death. In this regard, the allergist notifies parents about possible negative reactions before the tests and recommends staying in the hospital for several hours or days.
You can make an allergy test for a child in almost any municipal medical institution where such a narrow specialist as an allergist is receiving. In addition, services for their implementation are provided by almost all multidisciplinary private clinics. Where to take allergy tests for a child, you can check with your doctor.
