When “safe” foods react
Rice and buckwheat are traditionally considered hypoallergenic and are the first to be introduced into complementary foods, so the reaction to them is often taken by surprise and remains unrecognized for a long time. Meanwhile, an allergy to buckwheat occurs and can be severe. Soy deserves special attention for a practical reason: it is included in a huge number of industrial products - sausages, sauces, baked goods, confectionery - like soy protein or lecithin, so if sensitization is confirmed, careful reading of the composition is required. In addition, soy formulas are often used as a replacement for milk in cases of allergy to cow's milk protein, and the presence of sensitization to soy makes such a replacement impossible—hydrolyzate-based formulas are needed.
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.