How You
Can Diagnose Eczema?
If you have a suspicion that eczema is causing
the irritation on your skin, then visiting the doctor
is always a good idea. At the doctors you can have a variety
of tests performed to diagnose eczema. At first look,
a doctor may determine a professional opinion based on
how your skin looks but then he or she will go on to ask
questions and take tests to find out the cause of the
skin eruption.
Your doctor will need to know about your
full medical history, including any diseases, such as,
hay fever, eczema and asthma, as well as lifestyle habits.
The doctor will likely ask questions like: Are you a smoker?
Do you work out on a regular schedule or not? Are you
a drinker? If you do how often and how much? What does
your diet consist of? Do you have any allergic tendencies
or are you taking any prescription drugs (including any
illegal drugs you take on a recreational basis)? Are you
exposed to any chemicals or solvents at your workplace
on a regular basis? All of these will help him or her
diagnose your eczema. The doctor will also likely ask
you when the skin condition first occurred; this is important
to know and is relevant to the symptoms.
Some doctors will send their potential eczema
patients for an allergy prick skin test as part of the
eczema diagnose process. A tiny portion of the suspected
allergen is placed on an area of skin, most often on person’s
back, and then the skin is carefully pricked with a small
needle. If the skin becomes red and bumpy in the location
where it was pricked then the patient is positively allergic
to the potential allergen. After a short period of time,
both skin test reactions are then measured for reactions-
redness and inflammation. A skin reaction that is big
enough is considered to be a “positive skin test.”
This basically means that an allergy is absolutely present
at the site of the testing. The doctor will do a comparison
between the patient’s list of symptoms and the results
of the allergy prick test. This test will normally take
around 30-40 minutes to complete.
Alternatively, another test to take is the
allergy intradermal skin test. The doctor will take a
small amount of the potential allergen and inject it just
underneath the patient's skin. If the skin becomes red
and bumpy it is an indication that the allergy is present.
There is a measured period for it to sit, and then the
results are measured by comparing the degrees of redness
and inflammation. When there is a large enough reaction
on the skin based on pre-determined factors then a positive
test occurs. The doctor will then compare the list of
symptoms of the skin condition to the results of the allergy
intradermal skin test. It will take about 30-40 mins (approximately)
to do this test completely.
The doctor may sometimes require a blood
test be necessary to determine if there are any antibodies
in the blood stream along with the quantity of a variety
of different cells. If the blood shows a raised 'IgE'
level then this indicates that eczema is in fact present.
Occasionally a blood test is required called
the Radioallergosorbent Test (RAST) or a Paper Radioimmunosorbent
Test (PRIST). Mixing the blood collected with a variety
of different allergens does this test and then the level
of antibodies is measured very carefully. If the blood
has a very large amount of antibodies in it then it is
a sure indication that there is an allergy present.
Susan Clark is just like
many of you. She suffered from eczema for almost her entire
life. Her symptoms started at her early age, and getting
worse when she was five. Her eczema was getting worse
and couldn't be cured for more than twenty years, until
she finally had found a cure which guaranteed to permanently
eliminate your eczema.
Eliminate
Your Eczema
With Susan Clark's System
|
