Featured allergy terms
Component and reflex testing
Allergy component testing identifies specific components—small protein or molecule fragments of a whole allergen—that may trigger an allergic response.
If component testing identifies an allergen, such as the protein found in cow’s milk, then reflex testing can help narrow down the results, such as fresh milk versus cooked milk.
These tests can help healthcare providers make a more refined diagnosis and answer many relevant questions like:1
- Can the patient tolerate baked egg?
- If the patient has a positive peanut test result, are they at increased risk for systemic reactions, or only mild symptoms?
- Is it the dog, cat, or both causing the symptoms?
- Can a female dog be tolerated?
- Is the bee, wasp, or both species of insects causing anaphylactic shock?
- Is immunotherapy suitable or not; and to what allergen?
Understanding allergies on a component level can lead to better symptom management.
"Allergy March"
Clinical studies have shown that young children who develop eczema (atopic dermatitis)2,3 or allergic rhinitis2,4,5 have an increased tendency to develop asthma and/or other allergic conditions as they grow older.
The progressive development of increasingly debilitating disease as a child grows into adulthood has been referred to by some researchers as the “allergy march.”
Getting an early diagnosis of an allergy (along with an early intervention, such as a medicine or treatment) may help improve a child’s symptoms and may reduce the chances of developing asthma in the future.3,4,5