How To Read Allergy Test Results

How It Is Done

The health professional doing the skin prick or intradermal test will:

• Clean the test site with alcohol.
• Place drops of the about 1 in. to 2 in. apart. This allows many substances to be tested at the same time.
• Prick the skin under each drop with a needle. The needle passes through the drop and allows some of the allergen to penetrate your skin. For the intradermal test, a needle is used to inject the allergen solution deeper into the skin.
• Check the skin after 12 to 15 minutes for red, raised itchy areas called wheals. If a wheal forms, it means you are possibly allergic to that allergen .

Another skin prick method uses a device with 5 to 10 points , which are dipped into bottles that contain the allergen extract. This device is pressed against the skin of the forearm or back so that all heads are pressed into the skin at the same time.

Different Techniques Quantifying Skin Prick Test Results

The outcome of the SPT can result in a variety of wheal shapes, as shown in Fig. . To determine the average diameter, the mean value of the longest and the midpoint orthogonal diameter of the wheal were measured . The area of the wheal was determined by using a flatbed scanner in combination with software earlier developed by Erasmus MC: Precise Automated Area Measurement of Skin Test . Mean values of two histamine-induced wheal sizes of the positive control were collected as well. Based on the measured data the HEP-indices were calculated for both the average diameter and area.

Fig. 1

Consequently the four readings were defined as:

Adding Diagnostic Testing To Aid In A Differential Diagnosis Has Been Shown To Increase Confidence In Diagnosis To 90 Percent910

Help your patients find answers.

When a patientâs symptoms and clinical presentation offer a wide range of diagnostic possibilities, such as an IgE-mediated allergy, test results can be a valuable tool in helping confirm the diagnosis. Together with the case history, serological testing can help bring clarity to an uncertain diagnosis and provide clear results that are easy to interpret and explain to patients.

Take the next step.

From ordering a specific IgE test to interpreting results, we have the resources you need to feel confident in your allergy diagnosis.

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Skin Scratch Or Prick Test

The skin scratch test or skin prick test which also goes by the name of a Puncture Test. The test is used for checking for sudden allergic reactions as many as up to 40 allergens. Mostly it is for testing allergies that crop up due to allergens such as, pollen, mold, pet dander, dust mites, and foods. It is done on the forearm for the adults, while children have it done on their upper backs.

Since allergy skin tests are not at all painful when it comes to this type of allergy skin test needles or lancets that hardly enter the epidermis. One does not bleed or but they only have some slight discomfort. The area where the test is to be done on is cleaned using alcohol, then small drawings are made on the skin. A drop of the allergy causing substance I applied besides each mark. A needle is used in this case to ensure that the allergen is pierced into the surface of the skin. For each allergen being tested a new needle is used.

Food Allergy Testing In Downers Grove Naperville Elmhurst And Plainfield Il

At Oak Brook Allergists, our board-certified allergists do not leave you to figure out your food allergies and interpret the results of various tests yourself. We are with you every step of the way. Our team is experienced in diagnosing and treating food allergies in adult and pediatric patients.

To schedule an appointment with an allergist, call us today at 574-0460 or use our online request form. We look forward to helping you successfully manage your food allergies.

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Are There Any Risks To The Test

There is very little risk to having allergy skin tests. The test itself is not painful. The most common side effect is red, itchy skin at the test sites. In very rare cases, an allergy skin test may cause anaphylactic shock. This is why skin tests need to be done in a providers office where emergency equipment is available. If youve had a patch test and feel intense itching or pain under the patches once you are home, remove the patches and call your provider.

What Happens If I Have An Allergy

Depending on the allergy, your healthcare provider may recommend one or more of these steps:

• Minimize exposure to allergens: Avoid ones that cause severe reactions, such as latex or certain foods.
• Take daily allergy medications: Antihistamines can prevent or reduce allergic rhinitis and other symptoms.
• Get allergy shots: This type of immunotherapy can decrease the immune systems response to certain allergens like pet dander. You should get allergy shots for three to five years to experience maximum benefit. Allergy shots can be costly, but they often provide long-lasting relief, even after the shot series is completed.
• Have a medical alert card: A card or medical alert jewelry lets others know about your severe allergy. It tells them you could have an anaphylactic response to peanuts, bee stings or other allergens.
• Carry an epinephrine injection: Keep this medicine with you at all times if youre at risk for an anaphylactic allergic reaction.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Allergic reactions can range from annoying congestion to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Allergy tests can identify substances that cause these types of allergic reactions. There are different allergy tests. Your healthcare provider will choose the best test for you based on symptoms and potential allergy triggers. If you have allergies, you can take steps to get symptom relief.

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Is There Danger To A Skin Test

In very rare cases, patients may have a severe allergic reaction involving multiple body systems to skin testing. For this reason, skin testing should be completed by an experienced allergist who is well prepared to diagnose and treat a severe allergic reaction. Although both are safe, intradermal or intracutaneous skin testing is more likely to cause a severe allergic reaction compared to prick/puncture testing.

What Is A Positive Skin Test Result

A positive skin test involves the formation of a bump and redness . In addition to the allergens in question, skin testing is also performed with a positive control that should always cause a skin reaction, and a negative control, , that should not cause a reaction. A test is positive if the allergen causes a wheal 3 mm greater than the negative control, and if the skin has a response to the histamine, as well. It is important to know that individuals cannot undergo skin testing if they are using antihistamines, since this blocks the histamine-mediated reaction.

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Allergy Skin Test Results Interpretations

They are Recorded Down as Follows

• 1 Is an average diameter or allergen Induced average wheal diameter.
• 2 Area or allergen Induced area which is measured by use of a scanning device.
• 3 Known as HEP-index diameter. The allergen-induced an average diameter divided by histamine-induced average diameter.
• 4 Known as HEP-index diameter. The allergen-induced an average diameter divided by histamine-induced average area.

Why Seek An Allergist

Attempting to self-diagnose food allergies and interpreting results can be challenging. With food allergy tests, false positives and false negatives can occur. For this reason, you should always seek out a board-certified allergist to diagnose and treat your symptoms. Moreover, laboratories use various blood tests with different scoring systems. An allergist, however, is an expert and will be aware of the differences and know how to accurately interpret the results and explain to you what the results mean.

Food allergy testing is an important part of making a diagnosis. However, an allergist has many tools that increase the accuracy of a diagnosis, such as taking into account your medical history, using the elimination diet, and using other methods of food allergy testing .

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How To Prepare For Your Skin Allergy Test

Before recommending a skin allergy test, your doctor will ask you detailed questions about your medical history, your signs and symptoms, and your usual way of treating them.

Before any allergy testing, your doctor will ask about:

• Illnesses
• Where you live and work
• Lifestyle
• Foods and eating habits

Your answers can help your doctor determine if allergies run in your family and if an allergic reaction is most likely causing your symptoms. Your doctor may also perform a physical examination to search for additional clues about the cause of your signs and symptoms.

Allergy medicines can change the results of skin tests. Your doctor will tell you which medicines to avoid and when to stop taking them before the test.

Side Effects Of Allergy Blood Tests

Allergy blood testing is relatively safe. Side effects are usually minor and may include:

• Swelling and redness at the site where the needle was inserted
• Pain
• Bleeding at the site where the needle was inserted

There is a potential that some people may faint during any type of blood testing.

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Types Of Allergy Blood Tests

Allergy blood tests detect and measure the amount of allergen-specific antibodies in your blood. When you come into contact with an allergy trigger, known as an allergen, your body makes antibodies against it.

The antibodies tell cells in your body to release certain chemicals. These chemicals are what cause allergy symptoms. Immunoglobulin E is an antibody that’s strongly linked to the body’s allergy response.

Allergy blood tests usually screen for at least 10 of the most common allergy triggers, including dust, pet dander, trees, grasses, weeds, and molds related to where you live. They are also particularly helpful in diagnosing food allergies.

Allergy blood tests may be referred to as immunoassay tests and include:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
• Radioallergosorbent test

The ELISA test measures the amount of allergen-specific antibodies in your blood.

The RAST test also looks for specific allergen-related antibodies in order to identify your allergy triggers. Since the introduction of the ELISA test, RAST testing has not typically been used.

Allergies can cause an increase in certain types of white blood cells. Blood tests to check your white blood cell counts, including a count of a type of white cell called an eosinophil, may also be done if your doctor thinks you have allergies. However, it is important to keep in mind that many other health conditions can cause an increase in white blood cells.

How To Interpret Your Food Allergy Test Results

The gold standard for food allergy testing is the oral food challenge, which is a medically supervised, gradual process of introducing a food allergen to a patient in order to diagnose or rule out a food allergy.

The doctor may also use an Immunoglobulin blood test, which measures the presence of allergen-specific IgE antibodies in your blood after being exposed to a food allergen. The immune system makes antibodies to fight the food allergens that it mistakes as invaders. The blood test can test for common food allergies, as well as different mixes of allergens.

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How To Read Allergy Test Results

The thing that needs to be kept in mind is that these tests tend to be interpreted differently due to which comparing the numbers between them might not provide you with the clarity you are looking for. The common belief is that a higher number indicates that you are more sensitive to that particular antigen.

When we talk about RAST testing, the range differs from lab to lab depending on the techniques they use. The range can lie anywhere between 0.1 and 10 kU/L. The test revolves around measuring specific IgE levels that are directed toward the food in the blood.

These tests have low positive and high negative predictive value. It is quite common to encounter mild elevated results, particularly in children who have allergic conditions like asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis.

The predictive values differ with every food item. However, it is said that the higher the level, the more chances there are of an IgE mediated allergy being present. Owing to false results, this is said to be a poor screening test.

Another test used for allergy is a physical supervised challenge test. In this test, the patient is made to consume an increased amount of suspected food allergen under the supervision of a physician.

If no symptoms occur which can be an indication of IgE mediated allergy, it implies that you are not allergic to that food item. The test tends to take around 4-8 hours but is found to be highly reliable.

What Is Skin Allergy Test

Allergy skin tests are used to find out which substances cause a person to have an allergic reaction. During allergy skin tests, your skin is exposed to suspected allergy-causing substances and is then observed for signs of an allergic reaction.

Along with your medical history, allergy tests may be able to confirm whether or not a particular substance you touch, breathe or eat is causing symptoms.

Information from allergy tests may help your doctor develop an allergy treatment plan that includes allergen avoidance, medications or allergy shots .

Allergy skin tests may cause very mild discomfort when the skin is pricked. You may have symptoms such as itching, a stuffy nose, red watery eyes, or a skin rash if youre allergic to the substance in the test.

In rare cases, people can have a whole-body allergic reaction , which can be life threatening. This usually only occurs with intradermal skin testing. Your doctor will be prepared to treat this serious response.

Allergy skin tests are generally safe for adults and children of all ages, including infants. In certain circumstances, though, skin tests arent recommended. Your doctor may advise against skin testing if you:

Blood tests can be useful for those who shouldnt undergo skin tests. Blood tests arent done as often as skin tests because they can be less sensitive than skin tests and are more expensive.

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How To Interpret Results

The results of a food allergy test can be confusing for someone with no medical training. As food allergy tests become widely available, more and more people are having to interpret results for themselves.

Heres what the scoring system is like and what it means:

• Values under 0.35 mean unlikely sensitization to the allergen.
• Values between 0.35-0.69 mean doubtful significance.
• Values between 0.70-3.49 mean there is a possibility.
• Values between 3.50-17.49 mean a greater possibility.
• Values between 17.50-49.99 mean very likely.
• Values between 50.00-100.00 mean very high likelihood.
• Values over 100.00 mean extremely likely.

The higher the number, the more likely it is that the food allergen is causing the allergy symptoms.

How Is An Allergy Skin Test Done

Allergy skin testing is noninvasive and generally very well tolerated, even by small children. A small amount of the suspected allergy-provoking substance is placed on the skin. The skin is then gently punctured through the small drop with a special sterile puncture device. An allergy skin test is also called a prick/puncture test. The older terminology was “scratch test.” With venoms, certain medications, such as penicillin, and in certain cases with aeroallergens, a second step of testing involves injecting a small amount of the allergen into the skin with a small needle. This is called an intradermal or an intracutaneous test. This type of testing should never be performed for foods.

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The Risks Of Allergy Testing

Allergy tests may result in mild itching, redness, and swelling of the skin. Sometimes, small bumps called wheals appear on the skin.

These symptoms often clear up within hours but may last for a few days. Mild topical steroid creams can alleviate these symptoms.

On rare occasions, allergy tests produce an immediate, severe allergic reaction that requires medical attention. Thats why allergy tests should be conducted in a doctors office that has adequate medications and equipment, including epinephrine to treat anaphylaxis, which is a potentially life threatening acute allergic reaction.

Call 911 immediately if you have symptoms of anaphylaxis, such as:

• swelling of the throat

How To Read Blood Test Results

It does matter if you are a marathon maven or a CrossFit champion, you should never overlook the importance of getting a regular checkup. While many people understand the importance of getting a regular checkup, they still have little information about how to read blood test results. By getting information about how to read these tests, you will get an idea about how well your organs are working. Keep reading to discover more.

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Allergy Test Results Scale

Some grading scales have been formed to increase the accuracy of the test result. The size of a wheal is used to gauge the sensitivity. Keep in mind that the size is meant to provide you with information regarding the severity of the antigen and is not an indication of the severity of the symptoms.

It is imperative that the skin tests are interpreted keeping the history and physical examination of the patient in mind. This ensures that the doctor is able to decipher the results accordingly. It is also important that the doctor has information regarding the reasons that can lead to false positives and negatives.

One of the reasons for an error in a skin prick test is when the tests are placed too close together, that is, less than 2 cm apart. This is why the solution needs to be spread. Irritant reaction can also lead to false positive results.

False negative results can occur owing to the use of medications such as antihistamines which is why the medicines need to be stopped 72 hours prior to the tests.

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