Cat Dander Allergy Blood Test

How to combat cat dander.
Cat dander allergy blood test. It s estimated that as many as 3 in 10 people living in the united states are allergic to cats. Your doctor or nurse observes your skin for signs of allergic reactions after 15 minutes. And check out cat dander. This ige allergy test uses a small blood sample to determine if you are allergic to cat and or dog dander.
They re actually allergic to certain proteins in the cat s urine saliva and epithelium dander. Testing for ige antibodies may be useful to establish the diagnosis of an allergic disease and to define the allergens responsible for eliciting signs and symptoms. These side effects usually go away within 30 minutes. The allergenic component of cat dander is feline d 1 or fel d1 a glycoprotein that combines with cat dander cat skin flakes.
In these cases the doctor will order a blood test. If you re allergic to cats for example you ll develop a red itchy bump where the cat extract was pricked into your skin. How to relieve your allergies. The blood is then examined for antibodies to common.
Cat dander ige a healthy result should fall into the range 0 0 1 kunits l. Allergy blood tests usually screen for at least 10 of the most common allergy triggers including dust. Scarlett a 7 year old beagle and edith and ollie 15 year old identical twin black cats. Laura richards is a boston based freelance writer and the mother of four boys including a set of identical twins and is also mom to three rescue pets.
Dander consists of dead skin cells and particles shed by animals. The most common side effects of these skin tests are itching and redness. Allergies to cats are twice as prevalent as allergies to dogs. People who are allergic to cats aren t allergic to the cat itself.
The allergist will likely recommend allergen testing and may pursue symptomatic treatment such as antihistamines to reduce discomfort or allergen immunotherapy shots to reduce the severity of reaction upon exposure to cat dander barrack said. Blood will be drawn either at the doctor s office or a laboratory and then sent for testing. If you ve been diagnosed with a cat allergy and have a cat don t fret. A cat allergy is a relatively common issue in which one is allergic to allergens produced by a cat.
Immunoglobulin e ige is an antibody that s strongly linked to the body s allergy response.