Allergy Screening

Blood tests for allergies at your IPSA clinic

At your IPSA clinic, blood tests are used to measure for the presence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to specific kinds of foods/substances. IgE is the antibody that triggers your allergy symptoms. Both a blood test and a skin-prick test can detect food-specific or allergen-specific IgE. However, unlike the skin-prick IgE test, the IgE blood test is not impacted by the presence of antihistamines and so it can be used even when you have extensive rashes which prevent the use of skin-prick tests.

Your IPSA physician will fully explain the meaning of the IgE blood tests to you. The results of this type of blood test can be used to grade how severe your allergy is, ranging from grade 1 to grade 5/grade 6 (which is a potential anaphylactic reaction).

Around 50 to 60% of all blood and skin-prick IgE tests yield false positive results, which means that the test produces a positive result, even though you are actually not allergic to the substance that is being tested.

What is the allergy blood test?

The allergy blood test is an immunologically-based test which allows your IPSA physician to test your allergic response to a number of different substances that you believe you may be allergic to such as pollen, food substances, animal products or medication.

Your IPSA clinic allergy consultation

Prior to attending your IPSA clinic allergy consultation, you IPSA clinician usually recommends that you keep both a food diary and a list of any potential products that you want your IPSA clinic to test you against. During your allergy consultation, your IPSA physician will talk through your suspected and known allergens, and in discussion with you, will devise the key allergens that you will be tested for.

Results from your IgE blood test are sensitive and specific to each of your suspected allergens, as your IPSA physician will test each suspected allergen on your list separately against your blood, providing you with a report listing the specific allergy level for each substance.

What allergy treatments are available at my IPSA clinic?

Your IPSA physician will advise you further, and depending on your blood results, he/she may then recommend either an allergy injection or a combination of oral/topical prescription antihistamines. If your results show that you have a potential anaphylactic response to one or more of the substances that you have been tested for, then your IPSA clinician will recommend, prescribe and explain to you how to use something called an ‘adrenaline epi-pen’.

What allergens will I be tested for at my IPSA clinic?

The allergy tests at your IPSA clinic are most often carried out in packages of 4 to 5 allergens per test; however, following your allergy consultation, your IPSA doctor might additionally incorporate the individual allergens that you have noted you would like to be tested for, and so each package is often unique for each of our clients.

To book your same-day IPSA clinic allergy consultation, phone your nearest IPSA clinic or make your booking online.