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Skin is wonderful. There's just enough of it to hold us all together.
Did you know that the skin is actually considered an organ of the
body, just like the heart or the brain or any other organ? It is.
Sometimes the skin is referred to as "the third kidney"
because body waste is discarded through the skin.
As
wonderful as skin is, it isn't without its problems. Our skin can
react badly when it comes into contact with substances to which
it is allergic. Skin allergies are usually expressed as a rash with
itching and sometimes swelling.
Most often the itchy rash that indicates a skin allergy is located
at the point on the body that has come into contact with an allergen.
For example, a rash caused by an allergy to nickel might well appear
on the wrist under the point of contact of a wrist watch.
Many allergic reactions on the skin occur on the hands. We use
our hands to touch all kinds of things, and if our hands come into
contract with a substance to which we are allergic, the resulting
rash or irritation might appear on the hands.
But our skin will react to all sorts of allergens. Allergy specialists
can use the skin to identify what substances the body is allergic
to by using an allergy skin test (sometimes called a scratch test).
A small drop containing the suspected allergen is placed on the
skin, and then a special sterile needle is used to scratch the skin
beneath the drop of liquid.
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