Skin prick Test: About your Child’s test

Kids are sensitive to environmental change and atmospheric substances. The skin of children can be affected by allergies. Any kind of substance called allergens, such as dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and food can trigger an allergy problem. The immune system of your child fights harmless foreign substances before the treatment. The skin allergy treatments include the skin allergy test or skin prick test. The treatment is usually designed to suppress the allergic reaction so your child can be safely exposed to the allergens and/or treat the symptoms when they occur.

The symptoms of skin allergy

1. Frequent itching of the skin.

2. Redness in the skin.

3. Patches on the top and back of the knees, behind the ears, and on the wrists.

4. Darkness of color of the cheeks, around the eyes, and around the lips.

What is Skin prick testing?

Skin prick testing is one of the most common allergy tests performed, also called a puncture or scratch test, and checks for immediate allergic reactions to as many as 50 different substances at once. This is a simple and safe method of testing whether your child has an immediate allergy. In this test, a drop of liquid containing an allergen is placed on your arm or back to identify allergies to pollen, mold, pet dander, dust mites, and foods. it is not painful after the skin test. After this, the skin below that drop is gently pricked, which you feel like being scratched with a nail. Patients may get itchy and uncomfortable from the reactions. If you are allergic to that thing, within 15 minutes the area will turn red and itch.

Why is it needed?

It is not always simple to find the cause of your child’s symptoms. Skin prick testing is also useful in the diagnosis of your child’s symptoms such as chronic cough, sneezing, itchy eyes, wheezing, abdominal pain, eczema, or nasal congestion. Food allergies can affect different organs of the body such as the skin, chest, and gut-related symptoms, and also affect your child’s mood, concentration, and well-being.

When to see a doctor?

When a child is suffering from seasonal allergies or regular allergic reactions, then it's a good idea to take him or her to see a paediatric first, they can suggest you see a professional allergist if the allergy of your child has become worsened. This type of professional can help identify the allergens the child is reacting to, like pet dander, pollen, dust, mold, certain foods, metal, cloth, or even some medications.

Visit the Pediatric Asthma and Allergy Diagnosis and treatment specialist, Dr. Vipin Jain. He is the Best Pediatrician in Noida and promise to provide the highest standard of healthcare to children and young people who visit his clinic by putting patients at the heart of everything that he do.