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At the risk of stating the obvious, the best way to avoiding an allergic reaction is never to encounter an allergen. However, you cannot begin to take the right precautions without first finding out exactly what you are allergic to.

Pollen, Cat hair or Strawberries? What causes you Allergy

In principle, almost anything can cause an allergy and you need to identify your allergens in order to avoid them in the future. More often than not, people react to several substances and it is possible to cease to be allergic to one thing only to develop an allergy to another.

Skin Tests and Blood Tests

If you are unclear about your allergens, there are various tests to identify them.

Skin Tests for Identifying Allergies: The most common is the skin prick test. A drop of an allergen solution is out on the skin of the forearm and pricked into the skin with a needle. Other allergen solutions (pollen, hairs, feathers, dust, etc) are applied, with a fresh needle each time. It only takes 10-15 minutes for any reaction to become apparent.

Another skin test, the patch test is used with patients exhibiting eczema to see if there are allergens or sensitizers in creams and cosmetics. Different immune mechanisms are involved and the reaction takes 48 hours to develop.

Blood Tests for Identifying Allergies: a blood sample is taken and examined for traces of specific immunoglobulins which are antibodies produced by the immune system when an allergen is present.

These tests must be caried out or prescribed by a doctor, preferably a specialist in allergies.