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MRT Laboratories, Inc.

50 Johnson Ave.
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-342-5400
800-631-1379
FAX 201-342-1123
Email

Why Test for Allergy?

...You're not alone. About 55 million people in the United States have some type of allergy!

allergies Allergy is a common cause of acute and chronic illness, accounting for approximately 10% of all patient visits to the physician's office and is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. In addition to producing chronic respiratory problems, allergy interferes with normal growth and development, may cause physical disability, and poses substantial social and economic burdens. The economic burden in the United States has been estimated to exceed $5 billion a year for rhinitis (inflammation of the nose) alone.

Allergic rhinitis, the most prevalent form of allergic disease, affects 25 million people in the United States, while an additional 15 million people suffer from asthma. The other allergic diseases include eczema, contact dermatitis, urticaria and food allergies.

Treatment for allergy ranges from simple avoidance of the source of the allergy to therapeutic intervention that may include specific immunotherapy or non-specific treatment with antihistamines. Allergy is often treated with prescription or over-the-counter drugs without its specific causes being determined, leading to a situation of treating the symptoms rather than identifying and treating the underlying cause of the disease. The result is patients that could be on life-long pharmacotherapy, the long-term effects of which are unknown.

Best patient care practices dictate that the patient be tested to determine the cause of causes of their allergic reactions before therapy is administered. A simple blood test sample may be used to determine a patient's sensitivity to a wide variety of allergens, ranging from aero-allergens, such as pollens, dust and molds, to foods, insect venoms, drugs and occupational substances. Once the cause of the allergic reaction has been identified, the patient can be treated accordingly. In the case of a food allergy, for example, the food causing the allergic reaction can be eliminated from the diet. In the case of a pollen allergy, a course of immunotherapy may be the therapy of choice. If a patient is allergic to animals, avoidance is suggested. Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals may also be used to manage the patient in some cases.

More information...

Why test for allergy? Click Here
Why use blood tests? Click Here
Tell me about In Vitro Tests
Newsletter: "Advantages of In Vitro Testing"
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To view a sample Allergy Testing Results report, Click Here