Identifying allergens: A must in allergy treatment

Imagine not being able to eat the food you like or not being allowed to get near your pets. This is the sad reality which persons suffering from allergy have to face daily. An allergy could change one’s way of life forever.

Given the allergy treatment options available, experts say prevention is yet the best option available. But allergy prevention will not be successful without knowing which allergen triggers an allergic reaction.

The ImmunoCAP system is a breakthrough in early and accurate allergy diagnosis, developed by Phadia, a world leader in autoimmunity testing.

Through a small blood sample, it measures and identifies which among over 500 offending allergens a person is allergic to.

Distributed by Trianon Philippines, the ImmunoCAP system is the first diagnosis system approved by the United States Food and Allergy Drug Administration (USFDA).

Since the Philippines is placed on top of Asian countries with the highest prevalence rate of common allergies in a report released to the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (PSAAI), the ImmunoCAP system is considered an important technology in world-class hospitals.

An allergy is the adverse reaction of the body against normally harmless substances in the natural environment. It is triggered by any substance called an allergen that comes in a variety of forms — dust, pollen, furry animals, latex, food, and the like.

Allergic reactions like frequent episodes of red, itchy rashes, sneezing and runny nose that last more than a week, and itchy tingling sensations in the mouth or throat, among others, are mainly due to the sensitivity of a person’s mucous membranes mainly in the eyes, nose and airways.

The ImmunoCAP system for accurate and convenient allergy diagnosis is now available in many modern local hospitals and laboratories nationwide, including Manila Doctors Hospital, Medical City, Makati Medical Center, Philippine General Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center, Clinica Manila, Fe del Mundo Medical Center, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Medical Center (San Fernando, Pampanga), Wellcare Clinics and Lab Inc. (Cavite), Laguna Health Services Coop Lab (San Pedro, Laguna), St. Patrick’s Hospital Medical Center (Batangas), and Our Lady of Mercy Diagnostics Center (Davao).

For more information on the ImmunoCAP system, call the Trianon hotline at 815-3239 or visit www.phadia.com.