Allergies

What are allergies?

Let's face it: inflammation has a bad reputation. Much of it is well-deserved. After all, long-term inflammation contributes to chronic illnesses and deaths. If you just relied on headlines for health information, you might think that stamping out inflammation would eliminate cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and perhaps aging itself.

Unfortunately, that's not true.

Still, our understanding of how chronic inflammation can impair health has expanded dramatically in recent years. And with this understanding come three common questions: Could I have inflammation without knowing it? How can I find out if I do? Are there tests for inflammation? Indeed, there are.

Testing for inflammation

A number of well-established tests to detect inflammation are commonly used in medical care. But it's important to note these tests can't distinguish between acute inflammation, which might develop with a cold, pneumonia, or an injury, and the more damaging chronic inflammation that may accompany diabetes, obesity, or an autoimmune disease, among other conditions. Understanding the difference between acute and chronic inflammation is important.

These are four of the most common tests for inflammation:

• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (sed rate or ESR). This test measures how fast red blood cells settle to the bottom of a vertical tube of blood. When inflammation is present the red blood cells fall faster, as higher amounts of proteins in the blood make those cells clump together. While ranges vary by lab, a normal result is typically 20 mm/hr or less, while a value over 100 mm/hr is quite high.

• C-reactive protein (CRP). This protein made in the liver tends to rise when inflammation is present. A normal value is less than 3 mg/L. A value over 3 mg/L is often used to identify an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but bodywide inflammation can make CRP rise to 100 mg/L or more.

• Ferritin. This is a blood protein that reflects the amount of iron stored in the body. It's most often ordered to evaluate whether an anemic person is iron-deficient, in which case ferritin levels are low. Or, if there is too much iron in the body, ferritin levels may be high. But ferritin levels also rise when inflammation is present. Normal results vary by lab and tend to be a bit higher in men, but a typical normal range is 20 to 200 mcg/L.

• Fibrinogen. While this protein is most commonly measured to evaluate the status of the blood clotting system, its levels tend to rise when inflammation is present. A normal fibrinogen level is 200 to 400 mg/dL.

Should you be routinely tested for inflammation?

Currently, tests of inflammation are not a part of routine medical care for all adults, and expert guidelines do not recommend them.

CRP testing to assess cardiac risk is encouraged to help decide whether preventive treatment is appropriate for some people (such as those with a risk of a heart attack that is intermediate — that is, neither high nor low). However, for most people evidence suggests that routine CRP testing adds relatively little to assessment using standard risk factors, such as a history of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and positive family history of heart disease.

So far, only one group I know of recommends routine testing for inflammation for all without a specific reason: companies selling inflammation tests directly to consumers.

Inflammation may be silent — so why not test?

It's true that chronic inflammation may not cause specific symptoms. But looking for evidence of inflammation through a blood test without any sense of why it might be there is much less helpful than having routine health care that screens for common causes of silent inflammation, including

1. Excess weight

2. Diabetes

3. Cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks and stroke)

4. Hepatitis C and other chronic infections

5. Autoimmune disease.

Standard medical evaluation for most of these conditions does not require testing for inflammation. And your medical team can recommend the right treatments if you do have one of these conditions.

It's true that chronic inflammation may not cause specific symptoms. But looking for evidence of inflammation through a blood test without any sense of why it might be there is much less helpful than having routine health care that screens for common causes of silent inflammation, including

Frequently asked questions

How can you prevent allergies?

Allergies tend to run in families, so there’s only so much you can do to prevent them. You can minimize your risk of allergy flare-ups by identifying and avoiding your triggers and taking medication. Consider keeping a diary of your triggers to track what worsens your symptoms.

• Eat a wide range of foods when you’re pregnant and nursing.  Following a diverse diet when you’re pregnant and nursing can be beneficial for both you and your baby. You may have heard that avoiding certain foods or drinks when you’re pregnant or nursing can prevent allergies. However, studies don’t show benefits of restrictive diets.

• Eat a wide range of foods when you’re pregnant and nursing.  Following a diverse diet when you’re pregnant and nursing can be beneficial for both you and your baby. You may have heard that avoiding certain foods or drinks when you’re pregnant or nursing can prevent allergies. However, studies don’t show benefits of restrictive diets.

Desloratadine is an antihistamine that is taken to help treat allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, sneezing, or an itchy nose or throat. It may also be taken to reduce itching and hives on the skin. Common side effects may include sore throat, dry mouth, muscle pain, or drowsiness. If you have trouble swallowing tablets, desloratadine also comes in a tablet that dissolves in your mouth.

What is desloratadine used for?

Desloratadine is commonly taken to help with the following.

• Treat allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, sneezing, or an itchy nose or throat

• Reduce itching and hives on the skin caused by chronic idiopathic urticaria

Desloratadine may also be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

What should You know about desloratadine before using it?

Do not take desloratadine unless it has been prescribed to you by a health care provider. Take it as prescribed.

Do not share desloratadine with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. It may harm them.

Keep desloratadine out of the reach of children.