Define Your Allergies Before They Define You

People silently suffer from allergies and many have learned to accept that it has become a part of their daily lives and have somehow learned to live with it.

What many don't know is that allergies can be avoided by properly identifying them before they can wreak havoc on you and your family's health.

First, define the type of allergy you have. Many don't really know the types of allergies that afflict them and what really causes it.  Some common symptoms include sneezing in the morning or nighttime, runny nose, itchy and red eyes and itchy throat, incessant coughing, breathing difficulty, "wheezing" or that high-pitched whistling sound, irritated skin or tickly rashes after eating a certain kind of food or taking a form of medication.

Some allergies also come from airborne elements like dust, dust mites and even dust mite feces, pet dander, and even skin composition. Other sources include pollen from various weeds, grass, and trees, animal hair from dogs, cats, horses, rats and even non-vulcanized rubber used in making latex products like gloves. There are also the so-called 'seasonal" allergies like allergic rhinitis where sufferers undergo difficulty in cold weather.

Some allergies also come tend to be unpredictable, too, and different people regardless of age and sex have contrasting experiences ranging from mild to severe, even fatal to some. Aside from the usual inconvenient rashes and sneezes, allergies sometimes manifest in the form of bad or swollen lips, shortness of breath, vomiting or worst, a medical emergency like anaphylactic shock.

The symptoms really depend on what form you're allergic to and how you came in contact with it. Most of the time, people discover they're allergic to something when it has already caused a reaction in the body and not before.

But don't fret about allergies because there is hope. Prevention of troublesome physiological reactions caused by allergies can be achieved through Faber, the screening test for allergies.

Faber allows you to identify your allergens before they can cause an allergic reaction. It is the most up-to-date and complete tool today to diagnose an allergy. Made with the most advanced knowledge in the field of nanotechnology, Faber measures specific antibodies against bacteria, viruses and allergens. It uses molecular allergens and allergen extracts using only minimal blood samples from the patient.

The Faber test is recommended for those who have allergy with rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, urticaria, eczema, food reactions including abdominal pain and diarrhea, or insect or latex-induced reactions. Faber is also used if there are other members of the family who suffer from these allergies, or when more than one symptom appears at the same time and have several triggers.

Puzzled and distressed about your allergic reactions? Going to your doctor and taking a more proactive and specific approach to your allergies can do the trick. Take the Faber test also if you have done the restriction diets but without success, and avoiding the things you are allergic to but failed. The test is also a good preparation when traveling to an unknown destination, when moving to a new home, or even when starting a new job. It is also used to perform a periodical screening to test for early diagnosis or simply for the prescription of an allergy vaccine.

Anybody is eligible to take the Faber test - from infants to the elderly. There is no need to fast or to stop therapies even for allergies.  It only takes a small amount of blood for the test and unlike skin tests, even patients with severe dermatitis such as urticaria or eczema can have it done.

You may request for the Faber test from your medical practitioner or molecular allergist, who can customize the individual test interpretation based on the role of individual molecules seen as "risk markers."

For more information on the FABER test or to book an appointment for a consult visit lifescience.ph or call 848-LIF (5433).