Allergy Blood Test: Everything You Need to Know

The allergy blood test is performed to evaluate immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, a substance present in your blood. When you are suffering from some allergic reaction, your body makes this antibody and they are present in abundance in the blood.

Understanding Allergies and Allergens

Allergies refer to a common condition where immune system is involved for a long term. Your immune system makes antibodies to combat the viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens which might make you feel sick. The fear of allergic reactions causes most individuals to perceive several risk-free substances, like pollen or peanut, as threat. To fight this ‘threat’, the body’s immune system prepares IgE antibodies which ultimately produce allergy symptoms.

Harmless substances which can cause allergies are called allergens. Some common allergens include:

• Pollen
• Dust
• Foods like nuts and shellfish
• Mould
• Medicines like penicillin
• Animal dander

Your individual symptoms depend on the type of allergy you are having. From itching or sneezing to asthma or other life-threatening conditions like anaphylactic shock – all these can characterise an allergic reaction.

What is the use of an allergy blood test?

The main function of an allergy blood test is to detect if you are having any kind of allergy. Two main types of allergy blood test include:

• A complete IgE test: This test helps in detecting the overall amount of IgE antibodies present in your blood.
• A specific IgE test: This test, on the other hand, shows the specific amount of IgE antibodies your body makes for a single allergen. You should conduct separate test for each allergen which may produce allergies.

Why do you require an allergy blood test?

If you are experiencing any possible symptoms of allergy, the healthcare provider may recommend private allergy tests. Some common symptoms of allergies include:

• Vomiting
• Sneezing
• Wheezing
• A runny or stuffy nose
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Coughing
• Hives
• Diarrhoea
• Breathing shortness

Your healthcare provider might order an allergy blood test when you cannot undergo an allergy skin test. The skin test includes administering the allergens directly on or into your skin. Allergy skin test might not be the right choice for you, if you are:

• Suffering from skin diseases
• Vulnerable to getting serious allergic reactions due to allergens used in skin tests
• Taking certain medications which might affect your test results

Healthcare providers might usually recommend allergy blood tests, especially for children, as skin tests can be quite uncomfortable for them.

How is an allergy blood test performed?

At first, the healthcare provider draws a small amount of blood sample from a vein, usually in your arm, with the help of a needle. After inserting the needle, your blood is extracted and collected in a small vial or tube. You might feel a slight stinging sensation when the needle is pierced in or taken out. The entire process typically takes less than 5 minutes.

What to prepare for the allergy blood test?

An allergy blood test does not usually require any special preparation prior to the test.

Does the allergy test involve any risk?

An allergy blood test does not usually involve any such risk. While minimal pain or slight bruising at the site of injection is normal, most symptoms usually subside quickly.

What do the test results mean?

Abnormally high IgE levels indicated in a complete IgE test result suggest that you are having some kind of allergy. But the result cannot directly reveal what kind of substance you are allergic to, or how severe your allergy is.

On the other hand, abnormally high IgE levels in your specific IgE test result indicate that you are allergic to specific kinds of allergens from the entire set which was tested. However, detecting the amount of IgE cannot detect how serious your allergy is.

If results from either of your tests indicate you have an allergy, your provider might refer you to some allergy specialist or recommend a suitable treatment plan. Your treatment is based on what kind of substances you are allergic to and how serious your symptoms are.

If you are at the risk of getting anaphylactic shock, you must be very careful and make sure to avoid the things you are allergic to. Anaphylactic shock is quite a common occurrence in allergies to certain foods, stings, insects, latex, or medications.

Consult your provider to assess your risks of getting anaphylactic shock, and also discuss every question you might have in mind regarding your test results or your allergy treatment plan.

Key Takeaways

Allergy blood tests might not give accurate results every time. In some cases, you might receive false positive results indicating you are having an allergy, even when you do not have one. This might be due to some reaction occurring in your body against certain substances present in some foods, just before the test. On the contrary, there are less chances of false negative results in case of private blood tests which show you do not have an allergy, when you actually have one.

Based on your ongoing symptoms and medical records, your healthcare provider might also recommend an allergy skin test along with allergy blood test, or only an allergy skin test in certain cases.

If you are looking forward to having an allergy blood test, contact Private Blood Tests London for best testing experience with expert specialists.