The incidence of allergies seems to be increasing at a rapid pace. Indeed, as per the official estimates, around 6% of children under the age of three suffer from some form of food allergy. Various factors have contributed to this rise.
The first action taken when someone develops an allergic reaction is to opt for over-the-counter medications and home remedies. However, the best course is to find out the cause of the reaction so that exposure to the allergen can be avoided.
Many people do not like the idea of heading to labs for this purpose, which is why they yearn to find out how they can conduct the at-home test. There are certain steps that can be taken for this purpose.
Testing at Home
If you suspect you are allergic to any food item, the first thing that needs to be done on your part is to avoid it for a minimum of four days.
After that, you can eat a moderate amount of the specific food item when you are in a fasting state. It is imperative that you have not consumed any food item at least 2 hours prior to eating the specific food item.
The pulse rate then has to be measured both before and after a few minutes of ingesting the food item. Make sure you count for a whole minute and record the results.
The first pulse recording should be just before eating the meal. Then, count the pulse rate around 30 minutes after ingesting the meal and finally 90 minutes after you ate. The pulse rate should also be taken before going to sleep when you are sitting on the bed.
Barring the first pulse recording of the day, all the other readings should be taken when you are sitting down.
Do this for at least 3 days and calculate the difference in pulse rate when you had the suspected food item and when you had a normal meal. If there is a significant rise in your pulse with the suspected allergen, the result is said to be positive.
Some DIY kits for allergy tests have also been introduced. You can use the kit to perform the test, and the sample is then sent to a lab which would do the required procedure for results.
Should You Test Your Allergies at Home?
While the idea of performing the tests at home might sound appealing, things can get dangerous as well. This is because sometimes even a minute amount of allergen can lead to severe allergic reactions which can pave the way for a medical emergency.
Therefore, it is always a better option to make sure the test is conducted in a supervised setting so that if anything goes amiss, prompt intervention can be sought.
Furthermore, the interpretation of allergy test results can be a bit tricky at times, which is why it is always a better option to rely on professionals.