At Home Allergy Testing in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & England

With our ImmunoCAP ISAC IgE Allergy Test, one blood test can identify allergies to as many as 112 different food and aeroallergens.

Where Can I Get Tested For Allergies in the UK?

We offer convenient at home allergy testing for patients across the UK in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland; simply complete the online questionnaire and if the consultant decides you would benefit from a blood test, a kit will be sent to your home.

After you send the blood sample back to the laboratory, the results are analysed by an allergy consultant and your personal allergy report will be sent to you.

This programme allows you to get the same comprehensive allergy testing wherever you live in the UK, whether it’s in a remote village in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland or if you live in central London.

Our home based allergy testing kit and programme comes with a thorough review of your test results and symptom questionnaire by our London-based specialist allergy consultants, who will write to your GP with the results and suggestions.

Or, if you wish, you can always come to see our specialists in London.

Where Do I Start When Testing For Allergies?

If you are in London and want to be seen by an allergy consultant, or if you want your child or baby to be seen by our paediatric allergy consultant, please book an appointment on-line or call 020 314 33449.

If you live in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland or live in England but far away from London, or for any reason cannot attend a face-to face appointment at our Harley Street clinic, please start by filling in our ISAC allergy symptoms questionnaire, which will be reviewed by one of our specialist allergy consultants.

If our consultants recommend that you need an allergy test, you will need to pay the invoice for the testing, you will receive by e-mail after you send your questionnaire.

You will then receive a sample collection pack from the lab (as shown in the video) or, if you opted for a collection in London, you can attend the lab with the printed request form for sample collection (the request form will be sent by e-mail after your payment).

Finger prick collection is not suitable for small children and babies. In these cases, the sample needs to be taken by a trained healthcare professional (our lab can provide the necessary materials on request if you are located at a distance from London), or in London you can attend the lab with our form where the sample will be collected Monday to Friday, 7am-7pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.

Your personal test report will be ready up to 2 weeks after you send the sample back to the laboratory. The results will be reviewed by one of our specialist allergy consultants in conjunction with your questionnaire answers.

The results and recommendations will then sent to both you and to your GP (if you opted for this in the questionnaire).

If you have any further questions or would like a consultation, treatment, or if any problems are identified throughout the testing process, we would be happy to book you an appointment with one of our allergy specialists.

How Do I Use The Remote Blood Allergy Test Kit At Home?

If you need testing for allergies and you live anywhere in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, you can begin the process at home.

The following explainer video illustrates a sample collection from a finger prick for blood allergy test:

Can The Test Identify Food Allergies?

Yes.

At the London Allergy and Immunology Centre on Harley Street, we offer food allergy testing, one of the most common concerns for those suffering from symptoms of allergy or intolerance.

We also offer the opportunity for you to take a home allergy test wherever you live in the UK.

Complete the free screening questionnaire here and one of our allergy consultants will make a recommendation on whether or not you would benefit from taking an at home blood test.

If you would like to request an in-person consultation, please use the electronic appointment system or email consultation@ukallergy.com, and include your age and a brief description of the symptoms you are suffering from.

Many people in the UK suffer from symptoms related to food allergy or intolerance. Some of the most common questions that our patients ask us after they’ve had a severe reaction and suspect that food was the cause are:

• Was it an allergic reaction to food?
• Which particular food was it?
• Is it going to happen again?
• What food do I need to avoid?

We can give dietary advice after doing one or more of the following tests:

• The ImmunoCap ISAC blood test
• Skin prick test with commercially available food extracts
• Prick-to-prick test with fresh or cooked food
• Challenge test with food in a safe hospital environment
• Blood test Specific IgE to food (note not IgG)

Once the cause of your allergy has been identified, we will advise you on dietary requirements and further treatment, if required.

Do I Have A Food Allergy or Food Intolerance?

When a patient experiences mild or delayed symptoms it can be difficult to identify the cause. In many cases an allergy is the cause and the tests outlined above can confirm this. The primary goal is to exclude the possibility of a life-threatening allergic reaction and help you manage your allergies going forward.

If your results from a food allergy test are negative, our doctors will work closely with you, using dietary methods (food and symptom diaries followed by complex bio-chemical tests) to see whether you have a condition known as ‘intolerance’.

Food intolerance is usually caused by an absence or low levels of enzymes that break down specific sugars in food.

An allergy is not the same as an intolerance and it is important to seek advice from a healthcare professional to determine exactly what your symptoms are caused by.

• We will take all your symptoms seriously, diagnose using a clinically-proven testing method and, where possible, treat the cause
• We will try our best to get to the bottom of your symptoms
• We will explain everything to you, with no hidden charges
• We use only traditional, clinically-proven medical and scientific approaches (with no ‘magic’ supplements)

Intolerance can be diagnosed by the exclusion of foods one by one, with further reintroduction in a blinded manner, confirming the absence or return of the symptoms.

Warning!!!

Do not be fooled by the widely available IgG tests online for food intolerance. There is no need to change your diet if IgG antibodies to food are detected.

The presence of IgG antibodies does NOT indicate an allergy or intolerance to a specific food. IgG antibodies to food are formed in all healthy people as a part of the digestion process. There is no specific screening test for intolerance at present. If you would like to do an at home allergy test, we offer that service.

Have an allergy test using unique finger prick sample collection technology from the comfort of your own home in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland & England – You can take the free screening questionnaire here.

Allergy Testing Components

Allergen Components have a wide variety of uses – from the diagnosis and management of allergic patients to the selection of patients suitable for Specific Immunotherapy.

Use of Component Resolved Diagnostics (CRD) has fast become an interesting and probably essential part of allergy diagnostics.

Allergens, such as a species of pollen, a mite or a food are composed of a number of  allergenic molecules that may cause sensitisation.

A much more precise and detailed picture of the patient’s sensitisation pattern can be obtained by measuring IgE to the components.

This gives more information for the management of an allergen-sensitised individual indicating whether, for example, symptoms are likely to be severe and ultimately leads to better patient care.

All tests are charged individually.

ALTERNARIA COMPONENTS

• Alternaria alternata –  m6
• rAlt a1 – m229

ASPERGILLUS COMPONENTS

• Asperillusfumigatus – m3
• rAsp f 1 – m218
• rAsp f 2 – m219
• rAsp f 3 – m220
• rAsp f 4 – m221
• rAsp f 6 – m222

BIRCH COMPONENTS

• Betula verrucosa (Silver Birch) – t3
• rBet v 1 (PR-10) – t215
• rBet v 2 (Profilin) t216
• rBet v 4 (Ca binding protein) t220
• rBet v 6 – t225

BRAZIL COMPONENTS

• Brazil Nut – f18
• rBer e 1 (Storage protein 2S albumin) – f354

CAT COMPONENTS

• Cat dander – e1
• rFel d 1 (Uteroglobulin) – e94
• nFel d 2 (Serum Albumin) – e220

CELERY COMPONENTS

• Celery – f85
• rApi g 1.01 (PR-10) f417

COW’S MILK COMPONENTS

• Cow’s milk allergen – f2
• nBos d 4 (a-lactalbumin) – f76
• nBos d 5 (b-lactoglobulin) – f77
• nBos d 6 (BSA cow) – e204
• nBos d 8 (Casein) – f78
• nBos d lactoferrin (Lactoferrin) – f334

DOG COMPONENTS

• Dog dander – e5
• rCan f 1 (Lipocalin) – e101
• rCan f 2 (Lipocalin) – e102
• nCan f 3 (Serum Albumin) – e221

EGG COMPONENTS

• egg white (Gallus domesticus)- f1
• egg yolk – f75
• nGal d 1 (Ovomucoid) – f233
• nGal d 2 (Ovalbumin) – f232
• nGal d 3 (Conalbumin) – f323
• nGal d 4 (Lysozyme)- k208

FISH COMPONENTS

• Cod – f3
• Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
• rCyp c 1  (Parvalbumin)- f355
• Cod (Gadus morhua)
• rGad c 1 (Parvalbumin) –  f426

HAZELNUT COMPONENTS

• Hazel Nut (Corylus avellana) – f17
• rCor a 1 (PR-10) – f428
• rCor a 8 (LTP) – f425

HOUSE DUST MITE COMPONENTS

• House Dust Mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) – d1
• nDer p 1 – d202
• rDer p 2 – d203
• rDer p 10 (Tropomyosin) – d205

KIWI COMPONENTS

• Kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) – f84
• rAct d 8 (PR10) – f430

LATEX COMPONENTS

• Latex (Hevea) k82
• rHev b 1 – k215
• rHev b 3 – k217
• rHev b 5 – k218
• rHev b 6.01 – k219
• rHev b 6.02 – k220
• rHev b 8 (Profilin) – k221
• rHev b 9 – k222
• rHev b 11 – k224

OLIVE COMPONENTS

• Olive  (Olea europaea)- t9
• nOle e 1 –  t224

PEACH COMPONENTS

• >Peach (Prunus persica) – f95
• rPru p 1 (PR-10) – f419
• rPru p 3 (LTP) – f420
• rPru p 4 (Profilin) – f421

PEANUT COMPONENTS

• Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) – f13
• rAra h 1 (7S globulins) – f422
• rAra h 2 (2S albumins) – f423
• rAra h 3 (11S globulin) – f424
• rAra h 8 (PR-10) – f352
• rAra h 9 (LTP) – f427

SHRIMP COMPONENTS

• Shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) – k24
• rPen a 1 (Tropomysin) – f351

SOYBEAN COMPONENTS

• Soybean  (Glycin max) – f14
• rGly m 4 (PR-10) – f353
• nGly m 5 (beta-conglycinin) – f431
• nGLy m 6 (glycinin) – f432

TIMOTHY GRASS COMPONENTS

• rPhl p 1 (Grass Group 1) – g205
• rPhl p 2 (Grass Group 2) – g206
• nPhl p 4 (Grass Group 5) – g208
• rPhl p 5b – g215
• rPhl p 6 (Ca Binding Protein) – g209
• rPhl p 7 – g210
• rPhl p 11 (Profilin) – g211
• rPhl p 12 – g212

VENOM COMPONENTS

• rApi m 1  (Phospholipase A2, Honey Bee) – I208
• rPol d 5 (European Paper Wasp) –  i210
• rVes v 5 (Common wasp) – i209
• rVes v 1 (Phospholipase A1, Common Wasp) – i211

Proteins found in insect venoms. Specific markers particularly important when considering venom immunisation.

WALL PELLITORY COMPONENTS

• Wall pellitory (Parietaria judaica)- w21
• rPar j 2 (LTP) – w211

WHEAT COMPONENTS

• Wheat  (Triticum aestivum) – f4
• rTri a 19  Omega-5 Gliadin –   f416

PR-10 PROTEINS

• rBet v 1 – t215
• rCor a 1 – f428
• rPru p 1 – f419
• rGly m 4 – f353
• rAra h 8 – f352
• rApi g 1.01 – f417
• rAct d 8 – f430

A heat labile protein, cooked foods are often tolerated. Often associated with local symptoms such as Oral AllergySyndrome (OAS). Often associated with allergic reactions to fruit and Vegetables in Northern Europe.

LIPID TRANSFER PROTEINS

• rPru p 3 –  f420
• rCor a 8 – f425
• rAra h 9 – f427
• rPar j 2 – w211

A stable protein to heat and digestion causing reactions to cooked foods. Often associated with systemic and more severe reactions in addition to OAS.  Often associated with allergic reactions to fruit and vegetatables in Southern Europe.

PROFILINS

• rBet v 2 –  t216
• rPru p 4 – f421
• rPhl p 12 – g212
• rHev b 8 – k221

Seldom associated with clinical symptoms but may cause demonstrable or even severe reactions in a small minority of cases.

POLCALCINS

• rBet v 4 – t220
• rPhl p 7 – g210

Ca binding protein

SEED STORAGE PROTEINS

• rAra h 2 (2S albumins) – f423
• rBer e 1 (2S albumins) – f354
• nGly m 5 (beta-glycinin) – f431
• nGly m 6 (glycinin) – f432
• rAra h 1 (7S globulins) – f422
• rAra h 3 (11S globulin) – f424
• rTri a 19 (Omega-5 Gliadin) – f416

Protein found in seeds serving as source material during growth of new plant.  Often stable and heat resistant proteins causing reactions also in cooked foods.

GLYCAN DETERMINANTS

• MUXF3 CCD (Bromelin) -o214

A marker for sensitisation to cross reactive-reactivity between species. Seldom associated with clinical symptoms but may cause demonstrable or even severe reactions in a small minority of patients.

LIPOCALINS

• rCan f 1 –  e101
• rCan f 2 – e102

Very stable proteins. Allergen components displaying limited cross-reactivity between species.

PARVALBUMINS

• rCyp c 1 (Carp) – f355
• rGad c 1 (Cod) – f426

A major allergen in fish. A marker for cross-reactivity among different species of fish and amphibians. A protein stable to heat and digestion causing reactions to cooked foods.

SERUM ALBUMINS

• nBos d 6 (Serum Albumin cow) – e204
• nFel d 2 (Serum Albumin cat) – e220
• nCan f 3 (Serum Albumin dog) – e221
• nSus s (Serum Albumin pig) – e222

A common protein present in different biological fluids and solids. Cross-reactions between albumins from different animal species are well known for example between cat, dog, cow and pork.

TROPOMYOSINS

• rPen a 1  – f351
• rDer p 10 – d205
  An actin-binding protein in muscle fibres.  A marker for cross-reactivity between crustaceans, mites and cockroach.