The dog days of summer are here and for many the heat and humidity mean one thing, allergies. With an estimated 40 percent of children and 20 percent of adults suffering from allergies, rates are on the rise. Americans are spending three billion dollars a year on antihistamines, often without knowing which allergies are actually causing their symptoms. Doctors say in-vitro blood tests, the latest generation of allergy tests, can help take the guess work out of diagnosis and treatment.
Unlike the skin prick tests of the past, which can take an hour and a half to perform and require up to 150 injections, in-vitro tests, require just one blood sample. Systems like the IMMULITE(r)2000 are then able to test the sample for up to 440 specific allergens and allergy panels. Doctors say this testing method is not only more convenient, efficient and accurate but more comfortable for the patient as well. The tests can be performed in patients over the age of three months.
