here you will find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions regarding home allergy testing. If you can't find the answer you are looking for below, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
Allergy Testing FAQs
Are the Imutest allergy tests suitable for children?
All Imutest allergy specific tests are all suitable for children/adults of any age. This includes our Milk Allery Kit, Egg Allergy Kit, Airborne Allergy Screen Kit, Dust Mite Allergy Kit and Cat Allergy Kit.
Imutest's Allergy Check Kit (total IgE) is the only test in the range that is not suitable for children aged 6 years or younger, due to their immune system development rate.
My result was negative for milk/egg, am I ok to eat this food now?
If you are unsure about whether or not you have a food allergy (especially if you have exhibited allergy-like symptoms when consuming food), we strongly advise that you consult your GP or a healthcare professional at the earliest opportunity.
Imutest allergy self-tests are designed to show positive results for the level of (IgE) antibody that is regarded by clinicians as the lower end of the disease state range. It is possible to be allergic to something and have an antibody level below this range. You may also be allergic to proteins that do not normally cause allergies, or to an allergen that you have not tested for.
What is the best way to collect the blood?
Make sure your hands are warm and that blood is circulating well by washing them in warm water. Place lancet against the underside of the finger to be punctured. This helps a hanging drop of blood to form later.
Ensure that lancet is pressed firmly against the skin but don’t use more force than is required to set off the trigger. After the lancet has punctured the skin, gently wipe away any trace of blood. Leave finger to rest for about 10-15 seconds to allow the blood vessel to relax. After that time, place the finger in the bottom of a “V” formed by the thumb and forefinger of your other hand.
Squeeze the thumb and forefinger together around the punctured finger, which should be pointing slightly downwards and with the puncture on the underside. This creates a slight pressure in the punctured finger. Massage the blood up to the end of your finger and out of the puncture wound by drawing the finger between your thumb and forefinger.
A hanging drop of blood should form on the underside of the finger. When a large hanging drop has formed, place the blood tube horizontally against the drop. If there is sufficient blood in the drop, the tube will quickly fill to the two black marks and stop automatically.
My result was negative, but I still think I am allergic.
Imutest allergy self-tests are designed to show positive results down to a level of (IgE) antibody that is regarded by clinicians as the lower end of the disease state range. It is however still possible to be allergic to something and have an antibody level below this range.
You may also be allergic to proteins that do not normally cause allergies, or to an allergen that you have not tested for. If you are concerned, we recommend consulting your GP for further tests.
How accurate are Imutest allergy tests?
All Imutest products are CE marked and independently assessed by certified EU Notified Bodies. Such assessment includes performance data where the results from Imutest are compared to the results from independent laboratories running the ''gold standard'' method for IgE testing.
These results show that Imutest gives an excellent correlation of greater than 90% for both positive and negative samples; resulting in an overall accuracy of greater than 90% (data available upon request).