Can a Product Put Allergists Out of Business?
The march of consumer-based medical products continues unabated. Already we have seen a wide array of home diagnostic tools, genetic kits and blood chemistry products. The latest entry into an increasingly crowded category is MyAllergyTest, a ten-factor blood test that gives consumers a look at what they may be allergic to.
The process is fairly straightforward. The kit includes a lance to collect a few drops of blood, as well as collection apparatus and a mailer. Sent off to the company’s lab, the blood, in theory should reveal which of these common allergens a person may react to. The cost is reasonable – on the order of $50 – and the benefits can be considerable, especially for people without the money or insurance to visit a real allergist.
Still, homespun medicine cannot substitute for many years of training and experience, as USA Today pointed out:
“It is important that a health care professional be involved in interpreting results and directing patients with their allergy or allergy-like symptoms,” says Cox, a board-certified allergist in Fort Lauderdale. She says people may have difficulty understanding the results, which may lead to inappropriate decisions.
The kit tests for 10 allergens, but people may have reactions to many other substances, Cox adds.
Allergies aren’t going anywhere, and the best treatment is still to visit an allergist or an ENT specialist as soon as possible. If you’d like to have a conversation with the experts in my sinus surgery offices, please call us here today.
Tags: allergies, products, sinus surgery
