Allergies are a lifelong condition that can cause your body to overreact to harmless substances. Your body thinks these substances are a threat so they produce extra amounts of antibodies to fight off these invaders. The antibody that helps fight off allergies is Immunoglobulin E, IgE. Immunoglobulin E is found in your blood cells. In some instances your doctor may want to do a blood test to check for allergies you may be experiencing. An IgE blood test can test the amount of IgE in your blood. High amounts can signify an allergy. This blood test can check for allergens such as pollen, dust, mold, animal dander, certain foods, certain medications, certain ingredients, or latex.
Allergies can cause a wide variety of reactions and symptoms. In some cases they can cause anaphylaxis, which is the closing or restriction of your airway which can make it difficult to breathe. In other instances allergies can affect your skin, they can cause sneezing, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, runny nose, congestion, itchy, watery eyes, hives, diarrhea, or vomiting.
One of the main ways you can be diagnosed with allergies is the skin prick test. This is done by an allergist. The allergist will scrape off the surface of your skin and place an individual allergen in the area they have pricked. They then wait for a reaction to see how severe the reaction to a certain allergen is. This way of diagnosing allergies gives you immediate results. It also will tell you how severe the allergy is and can also be more accurate. A IgE blood test can be the first start of your allergy diagnosing process. Your doctor may suggest it if they suspect an allergy and then refer you on to an allergist after the results are in. A blood test may be better for some people who have certain skin conditions, or take medications that may interact with the skin prick test such as antihistamines. Your doctor may also suggest doing an IgE blood test on children who are small and may not want to put them through a skin prick test. A doctor may also suggest an IgE blood test to check for immune system problems or if they suspect there is an infection with a parasite.
There are two different IgE blood tests. A total IgE test or a specific IgE test. A total IgE test measures the total amount of IgE in the blood. It will not tell you specific allergens. A specific IgE test will measure the IgE in your blood to a specific allergen.
After the blood test is completed it may take several days to get the results. In some cases it may not take this long, but generally a few days is the normal. Everyone has some amount of IgE in their blood on a normal basis. There is a normal range of IgE. If your results come back as normal it indicates that there is no sign of an allergy. A high total IgE test indicates that an allergy is present, but the specific allergen is unknown. Your doctor will likely refer you to an allergist to find the specific cause of the allergy and then figure out treatment options. A high specific IgE test means there is an allergy to the specific allergen tested. This test cannot show the severity of the allergy. More tests by an allergen or treatment plans depending on what the allergen is will follow. Low IgE test results are common with conditions such as chronic fatigue, asthma, chronic sinusitis, or fluid in the ear. A high test result can occur if your body is overreacting to something you may have been eating before the test, which can cause you to look like you have an allergy when you truly do not. It is uncommon for the test to show you do not have an allergy when you actually do.
Allergy blood tests are not always accurate. They can be the first step in allergy detection especially if you have a reason that the skin prick test shouldn’t be done. An allergy blood test cannot tell the severity of the allergy. Your doctor may want you to see an allergist after the blood test for additional testing or treatment depending on the results of the IgE blood test.
A IgE blood test can be the first start of your allergy diagnosing process. #HealthSurgeon
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Sources:
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/test-immunoglobulin-e.html#:~:text=Why%20Are%20IgE%20Tests%20Done,or%20infection%20with%20a%20parasite.
https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/allergy-blood-test/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22345-allergy-blood-test
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/test-ige.html
https://www.verywellhealth.com/ige-test-overview-6362110
https://www.walkinlab.com/products/view/carmine-red-dye-ige-allergy-blood-test#:~:text=The%20Carmine%20Red%20Dye%20IgE,allergy%20to%20carmine%20red%20dye.&text=Test%20Results%3A,%2C%20holiday%2C%20or%20lab%20delays.
