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Allergies Can Now Be Diagnosed With A Simple Blood Test

by: News Canada

(NC)-Do you think you have allergies? Do you have dark circles under your eyes, itchy rashes, or feel like you have a cold? If you do, you are not alone. More than 9 million Canadians suffer from some form of allergy.

Allergic reactions can mimic cold and flu symptoms so it is easy for people to mistake one condition for the other.
To determine if you have allergies your doctor will often use skin tests or a new blood test called UniCAP" allergy test.

 





















What is the Difference Between a Skin Test and the New Blood Test?

For a skin test, the doctor uses a needle to prick the skin through a drop of a solution of each suspected allergen. If a raised welt (weal or hive) appears occurs then this indicates sensitivity to that allergen.

However, the skin test is not appropriate if you have an allergic skin disease and is not as effective in infants and in older people. The results may also be affected by medication.

In contrast, the UniCAP" allergy blood test is simple. It requires about small sample of blood (about one teaspoon). The test is performed in the lab by a medical technologist. The test can identify allergies to more than 500 different allergens and is not affected by medications.

"The new blood test offers Canadians an easy and less painful alternative to identifying allergic symptoms, " says Dr. Brian Sheridan, Vice President of Medical Affairs for MDS Laboratory Services. "MDS technologists are specifically trained to perform thousands of different types of laboratory tests including the serum test for allergies. This test is 90% accurate and seems to be particularly useful in identifying food allergens."

If you think you may allergies, talk to your doctor. For more information visit www.mdscollaborate.com.



About The Author


News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.


A Brief Overview On High Blood Pressure Medicines


Ashish Jain


High blood pressure happens to be a widespread disease among people all around the world but we, Americans due to increased level of cholesterol, are more prone to this malady that often results in severe complications. There could be various reasons for why heart exerts more pressure on the blood flow that is popularly known as high blood pressure.

One common reason among Americans is widespread occurrence of high level of cholesterol. In case you discover yourself with this disease, you are needed to lay stress on dietary control. Life style changes greatly contribute in curbing hypertension. But a consistent rise in blood pressure must be treated by medications in consultation with doctor. There exist some over the counter medicines that you should strictly avoid in favor of prescription medications.

There are four common groups of high blood pressure medication that are as follows:

Angiotensin- Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors

With the help of these medications, functions of enzymes that happen to bring constriction in arteries are inhibited. This constriction often happens to be a cause of hypertension. There could be certain side effects such as excessive thirst and loss of taste with intake of these inhibitors, but these effects last for only a few days. These are relatively newer drugs.

Diuretics

It is most common medication for high blood pressure. This medication works in two possible ways. When diuretics are taken with a mild dosage it assists in relaxing blood arteries. The other work performed by it is facilitating out flow of excess water and sodium through urine in order to lessen the amount of blood. The only side effect associated with this medicine is reduction in potassium level of your body that happens to be an essential element for the normal functioning of body. For that food rich in potassium could be taken in plenty. Doctors often suggest potassium tablets along with this medication.

Calcium Channel Blockers

This group of medicines is not too old, but their usage is gaining momentum. They affect blood pressure in a very different way. They usually tend to disrupt smooth inflow of calcium in body cells, thus reducing cells intake of calcium. With reduced calcium heart rate gets reduced easing pressure on moving blood.

Beta -Blockers

Medicines of this group directly cast their impact on nervous system by making brain give a retarding signal to heart. The heart rate gets retarded and in turn pace of blood circulation decreases. Thus hypertension gets reduced. This medicine is rarely prescribed to diabetics with hypertension.

These are some common medications that you should take in consonance with constant monitoring of blood pressure through blood pressure monitor equipments. Lastly, beware of one thing. Don't overdose yourself with these medications, consequences could be disastrous.


About the Author :

To get more information on blood pressure, high blood pressure and hypertension treatment visit http://www.blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/


Article Source: www.iSnare.com