FAQ
Next-Step Treatments
Allergy Shots/Drops/Tablets Immunotherapy Information Below
Consider the AllerSmart IgE test as a pre-screen to continue your allergy treatment. We strongly recommend you consult with your medical professional on the next steps upon receiving your results.
Following up with a medical professional can provide a treatment plan including:
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Allergy Avoidance Assistance
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Anti Dustmite Bedding
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Air Purifiers
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Allergen Avoidance
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Over the counter medication - Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist
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Over the Counter - Symptom Suppression
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Oral antihistamines
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Decongestants
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Intranasal Corticosteroids
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Intranasal Antihistamines
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Nasal Saline Irrigation
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Prescription symptom suppression and allergy treatment - Treat the root cause of the problem
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Sublingual (SLIT) Drop and Tablet Immunotherapy
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Subcutaneous (SCIT) Allergy Shots Immunotherapy
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It is recommended to pursue a clinical diagnosis of your allergy hypersensitivity. To determine the severity of an allergy, additional IgE scratch, and food challenge testing may be required.
Speak with your medical professional to discuss an allergy treatment plan that works for you!
Subcutaneous Allergy Immunotherapy Shots
Allergy shots are regular injections over a period of time — generally around three to five years — to stop or reduce allergy attacks. They are compounded on a name patient basis, to include the patient's offending allergens. Further testing may be required.
Over time, injections buildup as prescribed by your doctor's dosage schedule. This helps get your body used to the allergens. As you desensitize, your immune system builds up a tolerance to the allergens, causing your allergy symptoms to diminish over time.
Sublingual Allergy Immunotherapy Drops
Similar to allergy shots, drops and tablets are taken daily over a period of time — generally around three to five years — to stop or reduce allergy attacks. Drops are compounded on a name patient basis, to include the patient's offending allergens.
Over time, the drops strength and number buildup as prescribed by your doctor's dosage schedule. This helps get your body used to the allergens. As you desensitize, your immune system builds up a tolerance to the allergens, causing your allergy symptoms to diminish over time.
Sublingual Allergy Immunotherapy Tablets
GRASTEKTM
GRASTEK is an allergen extract indicated as immunotherapy for the treatment of grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis confirmed by positive skin test or in vitro testing for pollen-specific IgE antibodies for Timothy grass or cross-reactive grass pollens. GRASTEK is approved for use in persons 5 through 65 years of age.
ODACTRATM
ODACTRA is an allergen extract indicated as immunotherapy for house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis, with or without conjunctivitis, confirmed by in vitro testing for IgE antibodies to Dermatophagoides farinae or Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus house dust mites, or skin testing to licensed house dust mite allergen extracts. ODACTRA is approved for use in adults 18 through 65 years of age. ODACTRA is not indicated for the immediate relief of allergic symptoms.
ORALAIRTM
ORALAIR (Sweet Vernal, Orchard, perennial Rye, Timothy, and Kentucky Blue Grass Mixed Pollens Allergen Extract) is a prescription medicine used for sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy prescribed to treat sneezing, runny or itchy nose, nasal congestion or itchy and watery eyes due to allergy to these grass pollens.
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Epinephrine
Epinephrine injection is used to treat severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) to insect stings or bites, foods, drugs, and other allergens. Epinephrine auto-injectors may be kept on hand for self-injection by a person with a history of severe allergic reaction.
ITULATEKTM
ITULATEK, the fourth once-daily sublingual allergy immunotherapy (SLIT) tablet available in the USA and Canada from ALK, is indicated as an allergy immunotherapy for the treatment of moderate to severe seasonal allergic rhinitis, with or without conjunctivitis, induced by pollen from birch, alder, and/or hazel in adults 18 to 65 years of age who have a clinical history of symptoms of allergic rhinitis, despite use of symptom-relieving medication, and a positive test of sensitisation to one or more of the pollen of birch, alder, or hazel (skin prick test and/or specific IgE).
RAGWITEKTM
RAGWITEK is an allergen extract indicated as immunotherapy for the treatment of short ragweed pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis confirmed by positive skin test or in vitro testing for pollen-specific IgE antibodies for short ragweed pollens. RAGWITEK is approved for use in persons 5 through 65 years of age.
RAGWITEK is not indicated for the immediate relief of allergic symptoms.
IgE True Allergy VS IgG
Allergists strongly advise against IgG allergy testing. Please see the association positions on IgG testing.
AAAAI - American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
CSACI - Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
EAACI - European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Do not rely on IgG testing for food allergies.
Below are definitions and a comparison between IgE and IgG antibodies and their associated testing.
IgE True Allergy
Sensitization is the first step in the allergic immune response. Antigen-presenting cells in the epithelium lining the airways of the lungs and nose, for example, internalize the process and subsequently express these allergens on their cell surface when house dust mite or pollen allergens are inhaled. Other cells involved in the immunological response, mainly T-lymphocytes, are then exposed to the allergens. B-lymphocytes are changed into antibody secretory cells, or plasma cells, by a series of unique cell interactions.
The plasma cell produces IgE-antibodies in the allergic reaction, which, like antibodies of other immunoglobulin isotypes, can bind a specific allergen via its Fab component. Different allergens cause IgE antibodies to be produced that are unique to that allergen. IgE binds to high-affinity receptors on mast cells via its Fc component after being produced and discharged into the circulation, leaving its allergen-specific receptor site open for future interaction with the allergen. Basophils, Langerhans cells, and activated monocytes are among the cells that have high-affinity IgE receptors. The immunological reaction known as sensitization is completed when allergen-specific IgE-antibodies are produced.
There are two stages to the immune system's reaction to allergen exposure. The first is immediate hypersensitivity, often known as an early-phase reaction, which develops within 15 minutes of allergen exposure. The second, or late-phase reaction, sets in 4-6 hours after the first-phase symptoms have faded and can linger for days or even weeks. Chemical mediators generated by mast cells, such as histamine, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxane, cause local tissue responses that are indicative of an allergic reaction during the early phase reaction. Conditions seen in the respiratory tract include sneezing, oedema, and mucus secretion, which are all caused by vasodilation in the nose, which causes nasal obstruction, and bronchoconstriction in the lungs, which causes wheezing.
IgG Exposure & False Positives
Patient Warning
Drawn blood is subjected in vitro to a spectrum of foods and food components in order to test for food sensitivity. Enzyme- or fluorescence-linked immunosorbent tests are used to determine the degree of total immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody binding to each meal. IgG subclass 4 (IgG4) binding can also be assessed instead of total IgG.
In routine IgG tests, a large number of foods are evaluated, many of which are common, difficult to avoid, or only infrequently recognized as food allergens (e.g., sugar, yeast). A classification system based on the photometric measurement of the degree of IgG binding to each food is used to rate the degree of "sensitivity" or "allergy."
A putative mechanism for IgG4 to stimulate basophil histamine release was described in the early 1980s, implying involvement in the allergic response. Following research, it was shown that the relationship was not confined to IgG4 but also involved IgE-receptor cross-linking via a receptor complex on the basophil membrane. This backs up clinical findings that total IgG and IgG4 levels are unrelated to food allergy in double-blind, placebo-controlled meal challenges.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Marketplace Report on IgG Allergy Food Testing Scam
Allergy Skin Test
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Scratch Test
A skin prick test, often known as a puncture or scratch test, detects acute allergic reactions to up to 50 distinct chemicals at the same time. This test is commonly used to discover pollen, mould, pet dander, dust mites, and food allergies. The test is commonly performed on the forearm in adults. The upper back of children may be tested.
Skin tests for allergies aren't painful. The needles (lancets) used in this form of testing barely pierce the skin's surface. You won't bleed or experience anything more than minor discomfort.
The nurse will make small lines on your skin and apply a drop of allergen extract adjacent to each mark after washing the test location with alcohol. He or she then pricks the extracts into the skin's surface with a lancet. For each allergen, a new lancet is utilized.
Two additional chemicals are scratched into your skin's surface to see if your skin is reacting normally:
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Histamine. This chemical causes a cutaneous reaction in the majority of persons. Even if you have a histamine allergy, your allergy skin test may not disclose it if you don't respond to it.
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Glycerin or saline. These chemicals have no effect on the majority of people. You may have sensitive skin if you respond to glycerin or saline. To avoid a misleading allergy diagnosis, test findings must be carefully analyzed.
The nurse examines your skin for symptoms of allergic responses about 15 minutes after the skin pricks. You'll get a raised, red, itchy bump (wheal) that looks like a mosquito bite if you're allergic to one of the drugs tested. The nurse will next take a measurement of the bump and keep track of the results. He or she will then use alcohol to wipe your skin and eliminate the marks.
Allergy Blood Test or Total IgE
AllerSmart IgE is a dry blood test
Allergies are a common, long-term disorder involving the immune system. Your immune system's job is to combat viruses, germs, and other infectious agents in the normal course of things. Your immune system perceives a harmless substance, such as dust or pollen, as a threat when you have an allergy. Your immune system produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E to combat this perceived threat (IgE).
Allergens are substances that produce an allergic reaction. Animal dander, foods, such as nuts and shellfish, and some drugs, such as penicillin, are all common allergies in addition to dust and pollen. Sneezing and a stuffy nose are common allergy symptoms, but anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening consequence, can also occur. The quantity of IgE antibodies in the blood is measured in allergy blood tests. It is normal to have a little level of IgE antibodies. A higher level of IgE could indicate that you have an allergy.
Other names: IgE allergy test, Quantitative IgE, Immunoglobulin E, Total IgE, Specific IgE
Collecting a dry blood spot sample at home or at a clinic can be done by the patient being tested without medical supervision. All that is necessary is the use of a lancet, pricking a finger, and enabling the 5 spots to be collected, much like a diabetic finger prick. The card must be sealed and shipped to the lab once it has dried.
If the results indicate that you have an allergy, your doctor may refer you to an allergy specialist or suggest a treatment plan.
The kind and severity of your allergy will determine your treatment plan. People who are at risk of anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening allergic reaction, should take special precautions to avoid the allergen. They may need to keep an epinephrine emergency kit with them at all times.
If you have any questions regarding your test findings or allergy treatment plan, speak with your health care physician.
Food Challenge Test
A food challenge test may be performed in a controlled environment, such as an allergist's office, to detect if a food allergy exists, to confirm a suspected food allergy, or to establish if a person has outgrown a food allergy.
Samples of the suspected offending food can be consumed alone or combined with other foods. Sometimes the food is hidden within a capsule. These meal preparation practices are employed to avoid having an undue impact on the test's outcome (if the person recognizes the food by sight or taste).
Under tight supervision, you eat the food or take the pill. You will be observed after eating the food or taking the pill to see if you have a reaction.
The majority of food challenges are conducted as an open challenge, in which both the patient and the physician are aware of what is being consumed.
A "double-blind, placebo-controlled test" is the best technique to conduct the food challenge test. Neither the allergist nor the patient knows which pill or food contains the potential allergy using this procedure. You must also consume capsules or eat food that does not contain the allergy for the test to be successful. This will aid the allergist in determining whether the reaction, if any, is attributable to the allergy and not something else.
A food challenge test cannot be done on someone who has had a history of severe reactions unless the test is being done to check if the person has outgrown the food allergy. At any given time, only one food can be disputed.
Meal challenges are the most common approach to determine whether or not someone is allergic to a particular food. Food challenges are a safe approach to determine if you may safely reintroduce a food or whether you should continue to avoid it.