Inhalation Allergy

WHAT?

At-home sample collection device for measuring levels of specific IgE antibodies in your blood that are elevated if you are allergic to any one or more of 30 different inhalants. Laboratory results are provided within 5 days.

WHY?

Allergies are becoming increasingly common. Often, reactions are the result of the immune system’s response to a false alarm (thinking an allergen is a bacteria or virus). To remove the threat, the immune system triggers a reaction.

An allergic reaction to an inhalant can happen in your eyes, nose, sinuses, throat and lungs. These are the places where the immune system fights off germs that are breathed in.

Allergic reactions can cause:

• Sneezing
• Itchy ears
• Itchy rash
• Hives or itchy welts
• Itchy roof of mouth
• Red, itchy and/or dry skin
• Itchy, runny and/or stuffy nose
• Red, itchy and/or watery eyes
• Asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing
• Anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction (seen as a medical emergency, it can cause trouble breathing as well as coughing, vomiting, diarrhoea, low blood pressure, fainting or death)

WHO?

An inhalant panel is an easy way to confirm a suspected allergy. Exposure to allergens should be prevented to avoid the discomforts of reactions.

HOW?

This sample kit contains a finger-prick blood collection device, along with clear instructions. Samples collected at home are couriered to and tested at the BioSmart accredited pathology laboratory.

Blood is tested for the following IgE antibodies that react to: Cypress Pollen, Hazel Pollen, White Ash Pollen, White Oak Pollen, Olive Pollen, Birch Pollen, Rye Pollen, Cultivated Oat Pollen, Kentucky Bluegrass Pollen, Timothy Grass Pollen, Cultivated Wheat Pollen, Cocksfoot Pollen, Bermuda Grass Pollen, Plantain Pollen, Goosefoot Pollen, Wall Pellitory Pollen (Parietaria Judaica), Ragweed Pollen, Mugwort Pollen, Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides Farinae (House Dust Mites), Cat Epithelia and Dog Epithelia as well as Horse Epithelia (Dander), Aspergillus Fumigatus (Saprophytic Fungus), Alternaria Alternata (Fungus), Candida Albicans (Fungus), Blomia Tropicalis, Latex, Blattella Germanica (Cockroach) and Cross-reactive Carbohydrate Determinant (CCD).

The amount of each IgE antibody is measured which gives insight into the severity of the allergic reaction. Your inhalation allergy report will come in an easy-to-understand format with a detailed explanation of results, what they mean and your next steps.