Allergy diagnostics and treatment

Effective control of allergies depends on the correct diagnosis. Allergic tests performed in Israeli immunology laboratory will help to confirm or rule out allergies as well as reduce symptoms using correctly prescribed medicines that significantly improve the quality of your life.

Since allergy medicine in Israel is advanced, here you can get a reliable doctor consultation or one of the best Israeli doctor second opinion for further treatment of your medical problem.

We select a narrow section Israeli doctor, an allergy doctor. You will be advised and treated by a doctor who focuses on treatment of your disease, who is a head of specialized department of one of the best hospitals in Israel. This  makes treatment the most effective and helps improve the quality of your life.

Israeli leading allergy and immunology specialists:

Prof. Shmuel Kivity – Head of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department at  “Sourasky” Medical Center (Ichilov), Tel Aviv.

Dr. Avner Reshef – Head of the Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Sheba Medicl Center, Tel Hashomer

We will promptly coordinate doctor consultation and medical treatment in Israel.

Allergy diagnostics

To detect the presence of allergen- specific antibodies IgE, there are two methods of diagnosis: skin tests and a blood test. Both methods have a high diagnostic value and recommended by our allergy and asthma specialists.

Skin tests
A series of tiny skin punctures hands or back of the patient with a small dose administration or a suspected allergen extracts (pollen, grass, mite proteins, peanut extract , etc.). Each allergen indicated by a bullet (not containing allergens)

If the patient is allergic to some allergens from the input, the inflammatory reaction generally occurs within 30 minutes. This reaction can range from slight reddening of the skin before the blisters or swelling similar to a mosquito bite in more sensitive patients. Interpretation of the results is done by allergist at a specific scale of severity: – from + / – meaning borderline reactivity and 4 + mark is testified to a strong reaction. Also used technique for measuring and recording the diameter of the blister and flash level reaction.

Skin tests can not be applied in the case of some common skin disease in humans or taking antihistamines for more than a week before the test.

Blood test
Blood test (RAST, ImmunoCap, AllergoScreen) performed in immunology laboratory. Results are ready within a few days.

This test measures the concentration of specific IgE antibodies in the blood. Quantitative results of the test make it possible to increase IgE skilled determine how various agents may affect the appearance of symptoms. The higher the value of IgE antibodies, the more likely symptoms. Allergens, certain low, may not cause symptoms at the moment, but, nevertheless, they can help to predict the future development of symptoms. Low levels of total IgE is not indicative of the exceptions often allergic to inhaled allergens.

This method is determined not only the level of IgE, but also the level of immunoglobulins IgG and IgM.

The result of such a quantitative evaluation determines the presence of allergies, as well as helping to predict and monitor the disease, assess the risk of possible serious reactions, and explain cross-reactivity.

One blood sample could be detected several allergens.

In contrast to the skin sample a blood test can be performed irrespective of the age of the person, the condition of the skin, making drug symptoms of disease activity and pregnancy. Infants and young children is recommended more blood than skin tests.

Other methods of diagnosis

In some cases the methods are carried out deliberate inhalation of allergen person to determine the response of the organism. Rarely used methods of decision- allergenic food or medicine. Even if such methods are used, they should only be carried out under the close supervision of an experienced physician allergist.

Sometimes the method of exclusion suspected allergen from the patient’s diet , for a certain time, to observe the reaction of the organism.

Patch testing. This method is used to determine the cause of skin contact allergy or contact dermatitis. The patch is usually treated allergic chemical substance is applied to the patient’s back. Then determined by skin reactions, usually within 48 hours after applying the patch. Then after two – three days the procedure is repeated.

Differential diagnosis. Before determining the diagnosis of allergies, consider other possible causes that have similar symptoms. Vasomotor rhinitis, for example, is one of many diseases that shares symptoms with allergic rhinitis, underscoring the need for professional differential diagnosis.

Once diagnosed to be asthma, rhinitis, anaphylaxis, or other allergic diseases, methods of determining the exciter held this allergy.

Allergies treatment

Recently, Israeli medicine has made many progressive steps in the treatment of allergies. With respect to anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, medications, and insect bites and allergic skin diseases, success is the ability to determine the dietary protein that binds to IgE, provoke severe allergic reactions.

New technologies can reduce the overproduction of IgE, and the regulation of histamine release in patients with reactions to allergens.

Drug therapy. To date, in the practice of allergy treatment medications used the latest generation. This antagonistic drugs which are used to block the action of allergic mediators or preventing activation of cells and degranulation processes. These include antihistamines, glucocorticoids, epinephrine, anti-leukotrienes, anticholinergics, decongestants, mast cell stabilizers, and other compounds which disrupt the chemotaxis of eosinophils. These drugs help relieve the symptoms of allergies, and just needed to restore acute anaphylaxis. However, they play only a minor role in the treatment of chronic allergic diseases.

Immunotherapy. Desensitization or hyposensitization is a method in which the person gradually introduced large doses of allergen. This can either reduce the severity or eliminate hypersensitivity altogether.

The second form of immunotherapy involves the intravenous injection of monoclonal antibodies anti -IgE.

The third type sublingual immunotherapy is a treatment that takes advantage of immune tolerance to non-pathogenic antigens such as foods and resident bacteria . This therapy currently holds 40 percent of allergy treatment in Europe.