Medical types, I have questions

[chequita guevara]

I have been tested twice in the past two years for allergies: both by the skin pick method and the blood test. Interestingly, the blood test shows no allergy to mold, penicillin, etc. The skin ***** test, however, shows a rather severe allergy to molds.

What does this mean? Can I eat moldy cheeses? Can I take penicillin?

What's the difference between an allergy and a sensitivity?

[Mrs. Tuberski]

If I am correct the sensitivity means that you can tolerate it with out the need for any meds etc. and it wont really bother you as much as it would if ur allergic to it, means that the allergean will make u feel worse then just being sensitve to it and usually need a medication to alleve ur symptons. It has been awhile since i did patient teaching since i work in the operating room now.

[SlowwHand]

Mold is in the air. Can't get away from it. One of mine.

I heard on the news the other day that the percentage of sinus and allergy sufferers are on a sharp increase.
They hypothesize the reason to be...we now keep ourselves too clean.

I'm guessing the French suffer little.

[Dr Strangelove]

The blood tests are notoriously inaccurate. The skin tests are a much better predictor of your allergies. There are hundreds of species to mold, the ones they test for are not the ones involved in cheese making or antibiotics.

The term "sensitivity" is non-specific. It means you react to something at lower levels than usual, but the reaction may not be of the allergic type. It's possible to be "sun sensitive" for instance due to very fair skin, certain drugs (tetracyclines), Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, or due to a physical urticairia. Everyone is sensitive at some point to certain strong odors. If I put enough tobacco smoke in the air almost everybody will get tears in their eyes, sneeze and cough eventually. Someone who has chronic allergies even if they don't include an allergy to tobacco will get those symptoms at lower levels of smoke because the lining of their airways are hyperseneitvie due to repeated stimulation. Someone who is allergic to some component of smoke will react at the lowest levels of all.

[Sava]

lies

[chequita guevara]

Thanks. I was hoping I could finally eat moldy cheese. I haven't had any in over thirty years, when I hurled after having bleu cheese dressing on a salad (after we left the resteraunt). Okay, maybe about seven years ago I had a small amount of gorganzolla that was on a burger someone gave me. Had a couple bites before I remembered. Didn't make me ill.

The blood test did specifically test for penicillin, but if it's not that accurate, I shan't put it to the ultimate test.

So, how severe a reaction are we talking if I decide to munch some blue cheese as a test? I don't think it'd put me into anaphalactic shock. Should I take an allergy pill first? Should I not do it at all?

[chequita guevara]

[pchang]

Try a small amount with no medicine. If you feel bad, then don't have any more.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Thanks. I was hoping I could finally eat moldy cheese. I haven't had any in over thirty years, when I hurled after having bleu cheese dressing on a salad (after we left the resteraunt). Okay, maybe about seven years ago I had a small amount of gorganzolla that was on a burger someone gave me. Had a couple bites before I remembered. Didn't make me ill.

The blood test did specifically test for penicillin, but if it's not that accurate, I shan't put it to the ultimate test.

So, how severe a reaction are we talking if I decide to munch some blue cheese as a test? I don't think it'd put me into anaphalactic shock. Should I take an allergy pill first? Should I not do it at all?

Take this with a grain of salt since this is not directly in my area of expertise, but it's related to what I study.

Despite that you puked after eating blue cheese dressing when you were a small kid, I seriously doubt that it was an allergic response. I would guess that its not impossible to see vomiting in someone who was severely allergic but its not a common symptom and there would be many other symptoms to point to if it was a true allergy.

Did you have any other symptoms?

[Asher]

I have a question also:

It's just been revealed that my dad has a hernia and it needs to be operated on, but he's scheduled to fly out here on Saturday and then begin a 4-day road trip with me.

Bad idea or no?

[Mr. Harley]

Che - ran into a related problem. I was tested, and had some severe reactions to Dust Mites, Grass, and Cockroaches (ewww). I did have a moderate reaction to molds, read the info, and came back to them.

It seems the tests my allergist used contiained the allergans for eight groups of molds, including certain ones associated with agricultural activity (which since I am in the country is quite germane). The Blood Test checked on certain ones, and then the two skin tests checked for others, with overlap between the two sets.

By process of cross comparison I determined that it is one of two different dry field funguses - they become a problem when dry weather follows wet and then causes them to produce spores. You might want to read the info on the specific test your doctor gave you, and see if it makes sense to have it tested with any more detail - they have to special order the allergans, and you may find it's as easy as getting cats to walk on a leash. They just don't do things that way.

[pchang]

Originally posted by Asher
I have a question also:

It's just been revealed that my dad has a hernia and it needs to be operated on, but he's scheduled to fly out here on Saturday and then begin a 4-day road trip with me.

Bad idea or no?

Depends upon how serious it is. Try not to drive off road or on bumpy roads. Plus, he can always purchase and wear a hernia brace.