Allergy Check

While most allergy symptoms are mild, they tend to develop quickly and can be a nuisance.

Common symptoms include sneezing, itchy eyes, wheezing, raised rashes, swollen lips, and stomach pain. These symptoms will vary depending on the severity of your allergy - and in severe cases can lead to anaphylaxis - a life threatening immune response which requires immediate medical attention. Anaphylactic shock affects the whole body and can develop minutes after exposure to the allergen.

With regards to skin, allergic responses are much milder but can lead to long standing skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, hives, blisters, excessive itching, peeling, flushing and/or visible irritation.

If you are experiencing any of the above and just cannot get to the root cause, you may very well be suffering with an undiagnosed allergy...

An allergy check with Harley Street Skin is a very simple process. It works by testing a small blood sample - around 6 drops - for what is known as ' IgE antibodies'. IgE antibodies are released as an immune response when your body encounters something it is allergic to. Elevated levels of IgE in response to a certain substance then indicate a reaction is taking place.

Patients have two testing options:

1. Purchase a test kit, perform a simple blood prick test at home and then send off your sample for examination. After 10 days you will then receive a comprehensive breakdown of results via the post.
2. Complete a blood prick test with us at the clinic and then let us handle things from there on out. Your results will come back to us, and you'll simply need to book in to discuss the findings with one of our knowledgeable practitioners.

Results: All results are given in accordance with a numbered scale that details exactly how severe your reaction to all 38 particular allergens.

Our Allergy Check Test will look for responses to certain foods - such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, wheat, meat, fish and dairy - as well as reactions to certain environmental allergens. These include various types of tree, pollen, varieties of grass/insect and animal dander.

A full list includes:

Almond

Apple

Ash (European)

Bahia grass

Bermuda grass

Birch

Carrot

Cat dander

Cladosporium herbarum

Cockroach

Cod

Common ragweed

Cows Milk

Crab

Cypress

Dog dander

Egg white

English plantain

Hazelnut

Hazelnut Pollen

Horse dander

House dust mites

Meat

Mugwort

Olive

Orange

Peach

Peanut

Potato

Rice

Rye

Salmon

Shrimp

Soy

Strawberry

Timothy grass

Tomato

and Wheat

Put simply, an allergy causes a more severe and immediate reaction which can - in extreme cases - be fatal. An 'allergy' is defined by an autoimmune response where your body releases Immunoglobulin E (IgE). When your body encounters an allergen, it releases these IgE antibodies which then travel to the cells that release histamine and other chemicals. This is when an allergic response will manifest. Allergic reactions most commonly cause issues which affect the lungs, nose, throat or skin.

Intolerances, on the other hand, typically refer to food sensitivities. These sensitivities are often (although not exclusively) linked to digestion and a body's inability to process a certain ingredient. They are substantially less dangerous and time-sensitive, although can be extremely uncomfortable and/or painful to experience. Associated symptoms are more frequently noted as: weight control issues, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, upset stomachs and cramping.

If you feel your allergies may be more closely linked to a particular food ingredient, you may wish to instead pursue one of our Food Intolerance Tests.

The test itself is very quick. The finger prick blood test can be completed in a matter of minutes, with results available within just 10 working days of receiving your sample. The results then come in the form of a comprehensive list of all allergens, scoring between 0 and 6 on a reactivity scale. These numbers then correspond with a category (either 'no', 'low', 'moderate' or 'high' reaction).