Allergy Pecan Fluorescence Assay Skin

The large Pecan tree, native to and very common in southern and especially south-eastern North America, is important for its timber and edible nuts. The Pecan nut was a major food source for the American Indians for thousands of years. IgE-mediated allergy to foods containing Pecan nuts is common. Pecan nut allergy frequently has an onset in the first few years of life and generally persists, accounting for severe and potentially fatal allergic reactions. Symptoms of pecan allergy can range from mild to life-threatening. Symptoms typically occur within one hour of ingesting a pecan or a pecan-containing substance. Symptoms include hives, itching, swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, dizziness and loss of consciousness. Not all of these symptoms will occur in a reaction and some patients will have only skin symptoms such as hives or swelling. It is important to remember, however, that the more mild skin symptoms can progress to systemic symptoms and that a mild reaction with one exposure does not mean that the next reaction will also be mild. First, a history will be taken to determine whether the symptoms sound consistent with an immune-mediated reaction. If the allergist feels that the symptoms likely represent an allergy, skin prick testing can be performed. Skin prick testing involves scratching the surface of the skin with the allergenic protein of the pecan and then measuring the reaction on the skin surface. Blood testing that measures the level of allergic response to the pecan protein may also be performed. While these tests are helpful in determining whether allergy exists, the size of the skin reaction is not helpful in determining how severe the symptoms related to pecan exposure will be.

No special preparation is needed for Allergy Pecan Fluorescence Assay Skin. Inform your doctor if you are on any medications or have any underlying medical conditions or allergies before undergoing Allergy Pecan Fluorescence Assay Skin. Your doctor depending on your condition will give specific instructions.