How to Screen for a Latex Allergy
- 1). Visit a doctor, preferably a dermatologist, to receive a physical examination. Your doctor will thoroughly examine your skin and possibly collect a small skin sample for the lab to analyze.
- 2). Take a screening questionnaire to determine if you're sensitive to latex. Be prepared to answer questions about your medical history and report current symptoms to your doctor.
- 3). Undergo a skin allergy test to screen for latex allergy. Your doctor will prick your arm with a microscopic amount of latex to try to produce an immediate allergic reaction.
- 4). Request an allergy blood test--- called a radioallergosorbent (RAST) test---to be taken. Your doctor will take a sample to measure your blood count and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) to detect allergens present in your blood.
- 5). Take X-rays and a CT scans to test for a latex allergy. If you have trouble breathing, these scans are useful in detecting abnormalities of the lungs and sinuses that latex could be causing.
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