At Home Allergy Test Options

At home food allergy test options for respiratory and food allergens

Wonder how to test for cat, dog, or dust allergies? Try our basic and expanded respiratory test options. Curious to see if certain foods are causing discomfort? Check out our basic and expanded food allergy tests. Want to kill both options with one shot? Our complete food & respiratory option is your best bet.

How It Works

 
 

Order Your 4U Health Self Collection At Home Lab Test Kit

Step 1

Order Your Test

Order online with express delivery. In 1 to 2 days your collection kit will arrive in plain packaging, ensuring a confidential testing experience.

4U Health At Home Lab Testing Finger Prick Blood Sample Icon

Step 2

Collect Your Sample

Your kit contains everything you need to test from home. Simply collect your sample using the at-home testing kit and instructions. Then return free of charge to the lab with the provided prepaid shipping label. 

Receive Your At Home Lab Test Results

Step 3

Fast, Accurate Results

Typically you will receive electronic results within 2-5 days after receipt by the lab. Have complete trust in your lab report’s accuracy, as all 4U Health testing kits provide hospital-grade certified results.

Get Physician Support For Your 4U Health Self Collection At Home Test

Step 4

Get Physician Support

We’ve got you covered! A licensed physician orders your test and reviews your results. Your test includes free telehealth result explanation to help you maximize our laboratory services.

What will my test results show me?

Your results will tell you how reactive your IgE antibodies are to the food, inhalant and environmental targets tested in your kit. According to medical studies, the stronger an IgE response to a particular target may increase the likelihood and potential severity of an allergic reaction. The test cannot give you a definite allergy diagnosis by itself. Doctors may only diagnose with a combination of allergy testing, medical history, and a physical exam.

However, you know your body best and how good you feel. You can use your results as a first indication to limit exposure to suspect allergens. This step may help you avoid symptoms in the future.

Help identify allergy triggers that may be causing you discomfort by measuring your blood concentration of IgE antibodies to a comprehensive list of up to 295 common allergens such as pollen, pet dander, and problem foods. The test ranks each potential allergen on a Class scale from 0-4; Class 0 (normal reactivity) thru Class 4 (very high reactivity). Test findings can provide valuable insight to help you make lifestyle changes to feel like your best self.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s included in our at home allergy test kits?

You’ll receive everything you need in order to self-collect your test specimen!

  • Pre-paid shipping both ways
  • Easy to follow instructions
  • An at-home blood drop collection kit (via an easy finger prick)
  • Return protective envelope to mail sample to the lab for testing
  • Electronic passcode protected results available from your phone or computer
  • Printable report to share with your doctor
  • Help along the way if you need it

What is an allergy?

Let’s get technical! A respiratory or food allergy is an IgE immune response to a specific irritant. Immunoglobulins E (IgE) typically specialize in the defense against foreign invaders. If you have an allergy, your body has for whatever reason confused a harmless substance with a threatening pathogen. Possible substances that can be misidentified are proteins ingested by foods or proteins inhaled thru the respiratory system and found in pollen, animal hair, dust mites, and mold among other things. These possible allergy triggers are called respiratory and food allergens.

What are common symptoms of allergies?

Allergies have a rapid onset of symptoms and may persist with prolonged exposure. They typically appear within seconds to just a few hours . If you or your child has experienced symptoms that you believe may be related to an allergy, testing the body’s IgE antibody response to this set of 295 targets may help determine the cause of physical symptoms.

  • Digestive
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Bloating, or gas
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Gastrointestinal distress
  • Stomach or abdominal pain
  • Vomiting
  • Head
  • Face, tongue, or lip swelling
  • Headaches
  • Sinus congestion
  • Sneezing
  • Sore throat
  • Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth
  • Body
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Coughing or wheezing
  • Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
  • Flushed skin
  • General feeling of discomfort
  • Inflammation or joint pain
  • Rash, skin problems, or eczema
  • Tingling or itchy sensation of the skin
  • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath

Food and respiratory allergens often share overlapping symptoms. Consider respiratory allergy testing together with food allergy testing to increase the likelihood of finding your trigger allergen(s) that may be causing symptoms.

What are the most common food allergies?

Food allergies affect millions of Americans and their families. Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to certain proteins in food that would usually be harmless. Food allergic reactions vary in severity from mild symptoms to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. See below for the 9 most common food allergies in the USA.1

Who should take an allergy IgE Test?

  • Test to confirm or rule out a food, respiratory or environmental allergy if you have symptoms:
  • This test may benefit children two and older or any adult with physical symptoms possibly attributed to an IgE-induced response to a food or airborne allergen. If you or your child is open to identifying a potential allergy trigger, then this test may be for you. We measure the body’s IgE immune response to a comprehensive set of targets to identify possible allergens. Use results as a guide to limit future exposures to feel your best.

Who should not take this test?

4U Health’s Complete Food & Respiratory Allergy Test is designed for individuals to identify food, respiratory and environmental allergies that may be causing unwanted symptoms. We do not recommend the using the results of the food allergy portion of your test to achieve weight loss.

If you suffer from chronic diarrhea or have had a severe allergic reaction with or without anaphylaxis, please contact your doctor immediately.

  • This test is not intended for the following individuals:
  • History of eating disorders: For people with a history of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, or any other related eating disorder, it is not recommended to utilize the test as part of a food elimination diet without the supervision of an attending physician.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Expectant and nursing women have specific nutritional needs. For this reason, they should not utilize this test as part of an elimination diet without the supervision of a healthcare provider or nutritionist.
  • Specimens collected in New York State: This test is not available for patient self-collection in NY.
  • Children under 2-years-old: The test taker must be 2+ years old.

Can I buy now and use this test later?

Test now or later. Your self-collection test kit will arrive with an expiration date of at least 5 months from your order date. That’s great news if you are buying multiple kits for yourself or want to gift to a friend or family member for later use. All test samples must be collected and mailed by the expiration date on your kit. Our current lot of test kits expire on July 31, 2023.

Can I gift this test to a friend or family member?

All 4U Health tests are eligible for gifting. In fact, they make great presents. The recipient who receives your gift will simply open the kit, register it, and follow the collection instructions. Within a few days of sending to the lab, your friend or family member will receive secure electronic HIPAA compliant results all thanks to your generosity.

Do IgE tests always identify an allergy?

An elevated IgE level with some foods & inhalants may not cause symptoms. As such, an IgE level is not a standalone definitive diagnosis for a all allergens.

Many allergies are mild and only manifest themselves intermittently when the body experiences cumulative exposure to multiple allergens within a short timeframe. Furthermore, when reviewing results, we recommend considering the presence of IgE antibodies to Cross-Reactivity Carbohydrate Determinants (CCDs). Should IgE antibodies to CCDs be identified in a sample, studies show the likelihood of a possible false-positive or clinically irrelevant result increases. Taking antihistamines or cutting out specific allergen exposure before the test may also impact your results. For example, if you are allergic to dust mites and have thoroughly cleaned your sheets, pillowcases, and curtains along with the rest of your entire house and have not been exposed to dust mites for some time before your test, it may not show up as an allergy in your results.

Please note if you have a known allergy, do not expose yourself to it before this test. This could unnecessarily lead to the risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.

Where is my lab test performed?

4U Health tests meet national standards and are as accurate as services provided in a doctor’s office or hospital. We only work with the highest quality CLIA certified laboratories and health experts. All testing complies with state and federal regulations. And our clinicians provide medical oversight throughout the entire process.

How is my privacy protected?

Rest assured; HIPAA security standards protect your data every step of the way while determining your potential allergies. Keeping your confidential data secure is our number one priority. We only share your information when required to deliver our products and services or where we are legally obligated to do so. Your results are securely protected and available for review in your online portal; always secure but easily accessible only to you.

Will my at home allergy test be covered by insurance?

Pay upfront and receive no surprise medical bills. 4U Health is not enrolled in Medicare or any other private insurance network. This test is not eligible for Medicare or any other federal or state-funded insurance program reimbursement.

Still have questions about the test?

So you still have unanswered questions. No worries, we’d love to hear from you. Reach us by e-mail, phone or chat and we will do our best to provide answers so you can determine if this is the best test for you or your child.