October 23, 2023
- Early Warning Self Test kits
Itchy eyes. Runny nose. Red hives. Swollen lips. Chest tightness. For many long-term allergy sufferers, they’re the tell-tale signs that they’ve come into contact with yet another allergen. But for those who are experiencing their first reaction, it’s difficult to know where to turn. With 1 in 6 people reported to have allergies – with the number ever-increasing – it’s vital to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms at the first sign of allergies. First stop: An at-home allergy testing kit.
While most private allergy tests in the UK range from £150 to £400, depending on the type of test, location, and facility, it’s crucial to note that you don’t have to accept such a steep cost to confirm that you are experiencing allergies.
By opting for an at-home allergy test, you can slash costs and timelines significantly, with skin prick allergy tests currently available for just £9.50, with the benefit of super-fast shipping and almost-instant test results. Allergy tests are available on the NHS, however, lengthy wait times should be expected, ranging from a matter of months to years, depending on where in the country you’re based.
It’s simple! It’s no longer required to join never-ending wait lists, sit in daunting waiting areas, and spend days with strips of tape on your back to see if allergies are the cause of your niggling symptoms. Offering a more convenient, cost-effective, simple alternative to traditional allergy tests, at-home allergy tests are available for both children and adults across the UK and Europe.
Designed to be used by those who are experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction – sneezing, itchiness, eye irritation, shortness of breath, swollen lips, or an itchy rash – as well as those with a family history of allergies, at-home allergy tests will determine whether you have allergy antibodies present, or Immunoglobulins E, within just five minutes.
World-class technology, made simple. Skin-prick allergy tests work by detecting the amount of Immunoglobulins (IgE) in the blood; the type of antibodies found when you experience an allergic reaction. While most people have incredibly low levels of IgE in the body, when individuals encounter an allergen, they can expect their levels to skyrocket, which results in a positive allergy test.
To check the levels of IgE in your body, you’ll need to start by drawing a small amount of blood from the finger, before dropping the blood sample onto the testing strip. Your results will show in five minutes. We think of it as a win-win; while a negative result will allow you to sit back and enjoy complete peace of mind, a positive result will encourage you to seek further answers to pinpoint the allergen in question.
While at-home allergy testing kits offer a world of benefits to those wanting confirmation that they are suffering from allergies; peace of mind, a wallet-friendly price-tag, and accurate results, there are two core advantages that make at-home allergy test kits the obvious choice: convenience and the breadth of allergens covered.
With the ability to order a skin-prick allergy test to your door, at-home self-testing kits are renowned for taking the stress out of getting help. By avoiding long waits, taking yourself out of the running to secure a GP appointment, and testing from the comfort of your home, this option puts your needs in the driver’s seat.
Surprisingly to many people, there is no universal allergy test that flags up any and every allergen. Instead, it’s a process of ruling out common allergens, such as foods, mould, dust mites, and animal fur, before removing flagged allergens from your day-to-day and seeing if any symptoms remain. By testing to see whether the allergen antibody is present in your body, you’ll have the confirmation you need that there’s still a culprit that you need to combat.
If you suspect that you may be suffering from a peanut allergy, and you’re not prepared to wait out the long NHS waiting lists, nor pay the sky-high fees for private allergy testing UK, your first step should be seeking an at-home allergy test kit.
While your allergy testing kit won’t pinpoint what your allergy is, it’ll tell you whether your body is currently fighting any allergens, based on the IgE levels in the blood. With confirmation that an allergy is the cause of your symptoms, you’ll be able to take action, avoiding peanuts, and pushing your GP to refer you to urgent specialist testing.
Yes! The list of allergy symptoms doesn’t stop at continuous sneezing, watery eyes, hives, and swelling in the face. Feeling dizzy, off-balance, or like you’re on a hamster wheel, even when lying still, are all symptoms that can be attributed to your allergies.
The science behind it? Allergies are known for causing sinus congestion, creating excess mucus. By creating unequal pressure in the ears, or blocking your sinuses, you’ll begin to notice a sense of dizziness, or vertigo, in the most severe cases. This is especially common in seasonal allergens, since they’re absorbed through the nose and mouth.
In short, yes – indirectly. While allergies themselves don’t cause the lymph nodes to swell, the subsequent immune response can. The immune system plays a crucial role in ‘attacking’ allergens as they enter the body, triggering the lymphatic system to defend itself, causing the lymph nodes to fill with white blood cell-packed fluid. This is a fairly rare phenomenon, and generally only experienced by those with severe allergies.
If you have swollen lymph nodes, and you’d like to rule out allergies as the cause, at-home allergy tests are available HERE.
Absolutely – particularly those dreaded seasonal allergies. Often caused by a build-of mucus, seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), or sleeping on bedding with dust mites or pet fur (especially if you experience vision problems most in the morning!) allergies can wreak havoc with your eyes. While it’s human nature to want to itch irritated eyes, further irritation can result in even more blurriness, so it’s best to avoid touching them where possible.
It’s a game-changer, for the right allergy. While food intolerances, detergent allergies, and outdoor sensitivities won’t be impacted by the use of a dehumidifier, the allergens calling your living space ‘home’ can be. By removing moisture from the air, your dehumidifier will join you in keeping mould spores, dust mites, and bacteria at bay, while improving your air quality in the process. In environments that breed bacteria, from bathrooms to humid locations, dehumidifiers are a must.
In short, they’re not. We’re often asked if hair testing for allergies is worth it, and the overwhelming response from the allergy community is that there is no scientific evidence to back it up. To obtain an accurate result, you’ll need to opt for a skin-prick allergy test to check IgE levels in the blood; the most reliable way of picking up allergens in the body.
We’ve all heard of those out-there allergies, from loose change to sunlight, but one of the rarest allergies is something that makes up roughly 60% of the human body: water. Known as Aquagenic Urticaria, there have been 37 cases of water allergies reported worldwide, in which itchy hives appear when water touches the skin.
Other rare allergies include exercise, human touch, cold weather, and even vibrations, with the latter being triggered by a breadth of day-to-day tasks, from pushing a lawnmower to bumpy car rides. Known as Vibratory Urticaria, scientists have found that vibration allergies are caused by a genetic mutation.
In a kitchen or manufacturing facility? Absolutely! Even the smallest dust of an allergen falling into the wrong dish can have potentially fatal consequences. It’s vital to follow rigorous hygiene provisions, ensure frequent hand-washing processes are in place, keep cooked and raw meats apart, and have dedicated utensils, plates, and chopping boards for different allergens, as well as having different work zones to keep allergens separate where appropriate. It’s important to remember that cross-contamination can’t always be seen by the naked eye, so refusing to take risks is key to combatting allergic reactions.
As part of the 2014 food labelling legislation, known as Natasha’s law, regulations came in to identify fourteen allergens that must be included on the label if they have been used as an ingredient or processing aid. By forcing manufacturers of pre-packaged products to follow industry best practices, put their customers first, and leave no stone unturned when it comes to allergies, it’s a law with life-saving consequences. The fourteen allergens include:
Berkeley Health Tests is a UK Company trusted by millions for providing early warning self test kits.