What is allergy blood testing?

Allergy blood testing, also known as sIgE (specific immunoglobulin E) testing, uses one small blood sample to measure the amount of allergen-specific IgE antibodies in the blood. The test can look at many possible allergens to determine if you’re sensitized (have specific IgE) to any of those allergens, including pollens, molds, foods, and animal dander.

What is the difference between blood tests and skin prick tests?

Both blood allergy testing and skin prick tests (SPTs) detect allergen-specific IgE. With the skin tests, results are typically available within 15 to 20 minutes after the test is administered in your clinician’s office. With blood tests, the blood sample must be sent to a lab, and results are typically provided within a few days.

Unlike the skin prick test, the blood test is not affected by antihistamines, and it can be performed on patients of any age, patients with extensive rashes (e.g., eczema, hives), and patients who are pregnant.

What allergies can blood tests be used to test for?

Allergy blood tests are commonly used to identify sensitization to foods, pollens, molds, animal dander, dust mites, insect venoms, and some medications.

When should you get a food allergy blood test?

You should only request a test if you have food allergy symptoms. Random testing of panels containing a large number of food allergens, whether by skin prick or blood-based methods, is not recommended due to an increased possibility of obtaining clinically irrelevant or false positive results. Testing only allergens suspected by clinical history will also help to limit the overall costs involved.