A Parent's Guide to Allergy Testing: What Can Be Tested?

When you suspect an allergy might be affecting your child, knowing exactly what's triggering the reaction is crucial for effective management. As a parent, navigating the world of allergies can feel overwhelming. This guide is designed specifically for parents and will walk you through the full spectrum of allergens that can be tested for at LACK Allergy Clinic in London, providing the clarity you need to help your child navigate allergic conditions with confidence.

Understanding allergy testing

Our advanced allergy testing at our London clinic precisely identifies the specific substances causing your child's allergic reactions. This targeted approach eliminates the guesswork of relying solely on symptoms or subjecting your child to lengthy elimination diets. By pinpointing exact triggers, we help you avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions whilst ensuring effective management of your child's genuine allergies.

Food allergens

Food allergies affect approximately 8% of children and 2–3% of adults. Our testing capabilities cover all major food allergens, including:

Common food allergens

• Milk and dairy products: Whole milk, casein, whey proteins
• Eggs: Both egg white and egg yolk proteins
• Peanuts: Including specific peanut component proteins
• Tree nuts: Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pistachios, walnuts
• Fish: Cod, salmon, tuna, and other common species
• Shellfish: Shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, scallops, mussels
• Wheat: Various wheat proteins including gluten components
• Soy: Soybeans and soy products
• Sesame seeds: Increasingly recognised as a significant allergen

Less common food allergens

• Other grains: Barley, rye, oats, corn, rice
• Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas
• Fruits: Apples, peaches, kiwi, strawberries, bananas, avocados
• Vegetables: Celery, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes
• Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, mustard seeds
• Spices: Mustard, coriander, caraway, garlic, onion
• Meats: Beef, chicken, pork (rare but possible)

Component resolved diagnostics

For certain food allergies, particularly peanut and tree nut allergies, we offer advanced component resolved diagnostics (CRD) testing. This sophisticated approach identifies antibodies to specific protein components within an allergen, helping to distinguish between:

• Allergies likely to cause severe reactions
• Allergies typically causing milder symptoms
• Cross-reactions from related allergens (such as pollen-food syndrome)

This detailed information helps us provide more precise risk assessments and management strategies.

Environmental allergens

Environmental allergies (also called respiratory or inhalant allergies) affect a significant portion of the population, with symptoms ranging from mild seasonal discomfort to severe year-round symptoms. Our testing covers:

Pollen allergens

• Tree pollens: Birch, alder, hazel, oak, plane, ash
• Grass pollens: Timothy, rye, meadow, bermuda, orchard
• Weed pollens: Ragweed, mugwort, plantain, nettle

Indoor allergens

• House dust mites: Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae
• Pet allergens: Cat, dog, horse, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, mouse
• Moulds: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium
• Insects: Cockroach, storage mites

Other environmental substances

• Latex: Natural rubber latex proteins
• Occupational allergens: Various workplace substances depending on specific exposure

Medication and drug allergies

Adverse reactions to medications can be complex, involving both allergic and non-allergic mechanisms. When a true allergic reaction is suspected, we can test for:

• Antibiotics: Penicillins, cephalosporins, sulfonamides
• Anaesthetics: Local and general anaesthetic agents
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): In selected cases
• Other medications: Based on specific patient history and needs

Note: Medication allergy testing often involves specialised approaches and may require referral to dedicated drug allergy centres for comprehensive evaluation in complex cases.

Venom allergens

For patients who have experienced severe reactions to insect stings, we offer testing for:

• Honey bee venom
• Wasp venom
• Yellow jacket venom
• Hornet venom

Accurate identification of venom allergies is crucial for risk assessment and consideration of venom immunotherapy, which can be life-saving for those with severe reactions.

How we determine which allergens to test

Not every patient needs testing for all possible allergens. Our approach is thoughtfully tailored to each individual, considering:

• Medical history: We carefully review your or your child's symptom patterns, timing of reactions, and suspected triggers.
• Age-specific considerations: Certain allergies are more common in specific age groups, informing our testing strategy.
• Clinical presentation: Different allergic conditions (such as eczema, asthma, hay fever, or food allergies) suggest different potential triggers.
• Geographic relevance: We focus on allergens prevalent in your local environment rather than those rarely encountered
• Seasonal patterns: When symptoms show clear seasonal variation, we target testing to relevant seasonal allergens.

This targeted approach ensures that testing is relevant to your specific situation, avoiding unnecessary procedures while providing comprehensive assessment of likely triggers.