Allergy blood test (total IgE)

Information about the allergy blood test Allergy Check

The allergy blood test is a highly accurate home medical diagnostic test for the detection of IgE antibodies in whole blood.

IgE antibodies in the blood are a clinical sign of an allergy.

Testing is easy. Individuals usually need about 5-10 minutes to conduct the allergy blood test at home. Then you need to wait 30 minutes for the result.

The test is clinically validated, ISO13485 compliant, and CE0344 certified for testing allergies at home.

In a performance evaluation study, the allergy blood test showed the same result as laboratory testing in 97.8% of cases.

What IgE antibodies have to do with an allergy?

Allergy is an abnormal immune response to non-infectious environmental substances (allergens).¹

When a specific allergen comes in touch with the body, the body's immune system reacts with the production of specific IgE antibodies.

The immune system releases these IgE antibodies in the blood, and then they attach to specific cells that release chemicals, causing an allergic reaction.²

When IgE antibodies are present in the blood, it is a sign that an allergic reaction occurred.

Allergy blood testing at home

Allergy can appear anytime in life. It is more common in childhood, but it can also develop later in life.

Allergy blood testing at home is a convenient, fast and economical way to check if the cause of health problems is allergy.

The main advantage of this allergy blood test over other testing methods is that you carry out the analysis by yourself at home. You do not need to send a sample of blood in the laboratory.

Important. The allergy blood test is not recommended for children under six years old.

When it is the best time to get tested for allergies?

It is best to get tested for allergies when you experience symptoms typical for allergies.

Body's immune system produces IgE antibodies when the body is in contact with the allergen.

Experts recommend allergy testing, particularly to individuals who experience one or more symptoms and are not sure whether an allergy is a cause.

Symptoms like fatigue, sneezing, irritated and itchy skin, digestive problems etc. can be associated with allergy but also with other health conditions.

Allergy testing procedure with IgE blood test

The allergy blood test is a certified home medical diagnostic test, specially designed to be performed by individuals with no experience in medical diagnostics.

A sample of blood from a fingertip needs to be collected (kit comes with the accessories for blood collection).

The allergy blood test kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions for use that guide you through the testing procedure.

Testing with this allergy blood test is safe and very easy. You carry out the analysis in four steps:

1. withdraw blood from a fingertip,
2. add the blood and buffer to the testing device,
3. activate the testing device,
4. wait 30 minutes for the result.

Individuals usually need 5-10 minutes to complete a testing procedure by themselves at home. There is an additional 30-minute waiting time for the result.

The usefulness of the results obtained with the allergy blood test

Results of the allergy blood tests are a useful indicator if the cause of your health-related issues is allergy.

Results of the allergy blood test are interpreted visually as positive, negative and invalid.

Positive result: the test detected IgE antibodies in your blood. You should find out which allergens are causing an allergic reaction.

At Sanotest, we have available allergy tests for the most common allergens such as milk, egg, pollen, dust mite and cats. For other allergens, you should perform laboratory testing.

Negative result: the test did not detect IgE antibodies in your blood. It is highly probable that you do not have an allergy or your allergic reaction is non-IgE mediated.

If you experience symptoms of an allergy despite a negative result, you should consult with your doctor for further investigation.

Invalid result: the Sanotest Quality Guarantee applies. Please contact us.

Literature:

¹ Galli, S. J., Tsai, M., & Piliponsky, A. M. (2008). The development of allergic inflammation. Nature, 454(7203), 445–454. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07204
² American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) definition. Accessible at: https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-dictionary/immunoglobulin-e-(ige) (16. 6. 2020)