This test is recommended where a known, severe allergic reaction could occur upon exposure to the allergen. A blood test for allergies is a specific test, as it measures antibodies in the blood known as IgE.
These antibodies are produced in response to specific, otherwise harmless, stimulating allergens that the patient has become hypersensitised to. A specific IgE blood test is carried out to determine the IgE antibody directed towards a particular allergen. This can then be narrowed down to something as specific as a type of grass.
The sample is sent to the laboratory, where the allergen is added to the blood sample upon blood extraction.
The volume of IgE antibodies produced in response to the introduction of the allergen is measured. If levels lie above a baseline number, the individual will have an allergic reaction.
