The most dangerous food allergy
Nut allergies, especially peanuts, are more likely than other food allergies to cause anaphylaxis, a severe systemic reaction that can develop within minutes of contact with a minimal amount of the product. It is also one of the most persistent: while milk and egg allergies go away with age in most children, nut allergies persist for life in the vast majority. Confirmation of sensitization has direct practical consequences: strict exclusion of the product, mandatory reading of the composition on packages due to the risk of trace amounts, informing school and loved ones, and if there is a confirmed history of anaphylaxis, the constant presence of adrenaline in an auto-injector. Peanuts are botanically a legume, so a reaction to them is not always accompanied by an allergy to other nuts.
Blood test instead of skin test
Determination of specific IgE in the blood has important advantages over skin tests: it can be carried out during an exacerbation, while taking antihistamines, with severe dermatitis, when the skin is unsuitable for testing, and in young children. There is also no risk of a systemic reaction, since the allergen is not introduced into the body.
The panel format allows you to immediately test a group of related allergens in one blood draw - it is cheaper and more informative than testing each one separately.
How to read the result
- class 0 - no antibodies detected
- class 1 - low level, clinical significance is questionable
- grades 2–3 - moderate level, reaction is likely
- grades 4–6 – high and very high level, reaction is very likely
The main rule of interpretation
The presence of specific IgE means sensitization - the readiness of the immune system to respond, but not the allergy itself. A diagnosis is made only if laboratory data coincide with real symptoms after contact with this allergen. That is why you should not exclude a product from the diet only on the basis of analysis, without clinical manifestations - especially in children.