When food allergy symptoms affect your health and well-being, a clear diagnosis is an important foundation for treatment planning. Professional blood allergy testing helps allergists identify how the immune system responds to specific foods. Through careful interpretation of lab results, allergists can confirm or rule out a food allergy. Here’s a closer look at how Atlanta allergists use blood tests to diagnose a food allergy.
Key Ways Blood Tests Detect Food Allergies
Blood test results are skillfully interpreted in conjunction with reported symptoms, along with the medical history of the patient and their family. This comprehensive process ensures greater certainty in the allergist’s diagnosis.
Blood Tests Detect Immune System Responses
When a person with a food allergy is exposed to proteins in the triggering food, their immune system releases chemicals in response to a perceived threat. A laboratory blood test can help detect immune reactions, indicating that the body has mistakenly identified the food as harmful. An added benefit of allergy blood testing is that testing does not require exposure to the allergen during the test.
Blood Testing Measures IgE Antibody Levels
>IgE antibodies are proteins your immune system produces when it mistakenly identifies a food as harmful. If laboratory analysis finds raised IgE levels, it’s likely to be a sign of sensitization to a food. While these higher IgE levels don’t provide certainty, combined with other factors they are powerful indicators that can support an allergy diagnosis.
Testing Helps Identify Suspected Food Triggers
Food allergy testing is important because it identifies which specific foods are causing your symptoms. To achieve this, a blood sample is mixed with proteins from suspected foods. If you develop IgE antibodies to those foods, the antibodies will bind to the proteins. The lab measures how many antibodies are attached to each food to determine your level of sensitivity to an allergen.
Multiple Foods Can Be Tested at the Same Time
With blood allergy testing, your allergist has the ability to test multiple foods with a single blood sample. After discussing the types of foods that typically trigger reactions, your allergist will choose an allergen panel for testing. For patients with skin conditions or those unable to temporarily stop medication, blood testing can be a valuable alternative to skin prick testing.
Helps Distinguish Food Allergies From Intolerances
Reactions after eating food could be caused by a food intolerance rather than an allergy—a food allergy affects the digestive system rather than the immune system. When a blood test detects IgE antibodies, it suggests that an allergy is more likely. In contrast, an absence of antibodies indicates a non-allergic cause. Testing results can rule out a possible allergy or confirm the need for an effective food allergy treatment.
Professional Blood Testing for Food Allergies in Atlanta
If you or a family member have an allergic reaction to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and other foods, visit one of our Atlanta-area treatment centers for support. Our allergists perform blood tests and other diagnostic approaches to confirm an allergy and develop a treatment plan. Call (678) 668-4688 or request an appointment.
Image Credit – QINQIE99/Shutterstock.com