Allergy Spinach Enzyme Assay Skin
What is this test?
This test helps to find whether an individual is allergic to spinach or not. In this test, a solution containing allergen spinach is applied to the skin. Then the applied area of the skin is pricked with a lancet needle.
What is Spinach?
Spinach is a flowering plant that belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. It is cultivated widely all around the world for its edible leaves. Spinach leaves are eatable as chopped, frozen, canned or as a vegetable. Raw spinach contains 91 percent of water. Leaves are dark green in color.
Spinach contains iron, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamins like vitamin-K and thiamine. It has antioxidant properties and helps in diabetes management. Other health benefits of spinach are cancer prevention, lowering the blood pressure, improving the bone health, providing healthy hair and skin etc.
What is a Spinach allergy?
Spinach allergy is a type of allergy in which an individual is allergic to the spinach and may suffer from symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, itchy mouth, skin rashes, skin discoloration, stomach pain, swelling of feet and face, difficulty in breathing, runny nose etc.
In severe allergic condition, an individual may suffer from life-threatening anaphylactic shock.
Why this test is performed?
This test is performed to check whether an individual is allergic to spinach or not. The doctor may ask you to undergo this test if you are suffering from symptoms such as swelling of feet and face, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, skin discoloration, stomach pain, itchy mouth, runny nose, difficulty in breathing etc.
Test Preparation
No special preparation is needed for Allergy Spinach Enzyme Assay Skin. Inform your doctor if you are on any medications or have any underlying medical conditions or allergies before undergoing Allergy Spinach Enzyme Assay Skin. Your doctor depending on your condition will give specific instructions.
Understanding your test results
The test results may be different depending on gender, age, and health conditions. Inform your doctor if you have any other allergies.
Generally, there is no need for medical interventions if test results are normal.
If the test results are negative it may indicate that there is no wheal and flare type reaction. So, the individual is not allergic to spinach.
Wheal-and-flare reaction is the swelling and redness of the skin.
In case the test results are positive it may indicate that there is a wheal-and-flare type reaction on the skin. A wheal with a diameter of 3mm or more is generally considered as a positive result which means the individual is allergic to spinach.
| Gender | Age groups | Value |
| UNISEX | All age groups | A wheal and flare reaction of atleast 3mm indicates that the patient is allergic to the substance |