Allergy Screening

Blood tests for allergies

Blood tests are used to determine the presence of IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies to specific foods/substances. IgE is an antibody and it triggers your allergy symptoms. Both a skin-prick test and a blood test can be used to detect food-specific IgE or allergen-specific IgE. However, the skin-prick IgE test is impacted by the presence of antihistamines; thus, the IgE blood test is used if you have extensive rashes.
Your clinician will fully explain the IgE blood test to you during your allergy screening consultation. The results from this type of IgE blood test can determine how severe your allergy is, with results ranging from grade 1 to grades 5/6 (a potential anaphylactic response).
Approximately 50–60% of all blood IgE tests and skin-prick IgE tests give false positive results: the test gives a positive result even when you are not allergic to the test substance.

What is an allergy blood test?

An allergy blood test is an immunologically based type of testing, and it allows our doctor to determine your allergic response to different substances that you think you might be allergic to (e.g. pollen, medications, food substances or animal products).

Your consultation

Before attending your allergy screening consultation, our GP will usually recommend that you keep a food diary and that you keep a list of any potential products you would like to be tested for. During your allergy screening consultation, the doctor will talk through both your suspected and your known allergens, and will then determine what key allergens you will be tested for.
The IgE blood test results are sensitive and are specific to each suspected allergen, so the GP will test each of your suspected allergens separately, providing you with a final report listing each specific allergy level for each tested substance.

What kinds of allergy treatments are available?

Depending on your IgE blood test results, your clinician will advise you and may then recommend either an allergy injection or combination of prescription oral/topical antihistamines. If your results indicate the potential for an anaphylactic response to any of the tested substances, then we will recommend and prescribe the ‘adrenaline epi-pen’.

What allergens will I be tested for?

We usually test 4/5 allergens per allergy test; however, after your allergy screening consultation, the doctor may additionally incorporate the allergens you would like to have tested, and thus each client often has their own unique allergen-testing package.
To book your same-day allergy screening consultation, phone the clinic or book online.