Allergy Blood Tests

Allergy blood testing is vital, as allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe anaphylactic shock. Allergy Blood Tests detect and measure the number of allergen-specific antibodies in your blood.

When you come into contact with an allergen, your body creates antibodies to protect you against it. These antibodies instruct your body to release certain chemicals and these chemicals are the cause of your allergy symptoms.

Allergy blood tests screen for the most common allergens, including pet dander, dust, trees, grasses, weeds and moulds. They are also helpful in diagnosing food allergies.
Should your allergy blood test result be positive, it will reveal the specific allergens you are allergic to. However, it is possible to test positive for something you have not had an allergic reaction to.

Should your blood test have a negative result, this would indicate that you likely do not have a true allergy, which means your immune system probably does not respond to the allergen tested.

Allergy blood tests may be referred to as immunoassay tests and may be conducted due to:

• Patients having a severe reaction, such as anaphylactic shock
• A patient’s allergy symptoms increase in severity and affect daily life

Blood testing for allergies is often recommended if:

• The patient is using a medicine known to interfere with the test results, such as steroids, antihistamines & some antidepressants
• The patient cannot tolerate the skin-testing procedure, which may be uncomfortable due to needle scratches and itching
• The patient has an unstable heart condition or uncontrolled asthma
• The patient has a severe skin condition, such as dermatitis or psoriasis, or
• The patient may have an extreme reaction to an allergen or has a history of anaphylaxis

Much like routine blood testing, Allergy Blood Tests are a low-risk procedure. An experienced health care professional takes a small sample of your blood and collects it into a test tube or vial. The process usually takes around 5 minutes and has very little risk associated with it

To enquire about our Allergy Blood Tests and others, please contact us via our contact form, or give us a call.