Allergy Test for Children

Children's Allergy

Children's allergy is common. Very often, it is impossible for us to find out what our children are allergic to. The most common allergy that children have is food allergy. The only way to find out is to do an allergy test.

Children's allergy is an adverse reaction that occurs after they consume certain food. It is driven by their own body’s immune system. In other words, their immune system does not like the food they consume, therefore produces antibodies against the substance, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). The next time they consume the same food, their immune system will release a huge amount of chemicals into their bloodstream causing an allergic reaction. Even a tiny amount of food can trigger a significant allergic reaction.

Click here to learn more about children's allergy on our blog.

Signs and Symptoms

Common children's allergy symptoms:

Rashes, hives, itching of the skin
Itching or tingling sensation in the mouth
Swelling of the face, lips, around the eyes, tongue, throat
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain and diarrhoea
Wheezing and nasal congestion
Difficulty in breathing
Lightheadedness
Dizziness

Severe children's allergy symptoms (Anaphylaxis):

Swollen tongue and throat
Tightening of airway
Difficulty in breathing
Severe wheezing
Drop in blood pressure
Rise in pulse rate
Severe dizziness
Loss of consciousness

Treatment and Management

There is no cure for children's food allergy. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor and get them tested to identify the food they are allergic to so you can help them avoid it in the future.

What you can do:

Get your children tested to pinpoint the exact content of the food they are allergic to.
Help them avoid taking the food they are allergic to. Remove this from their diet completely.
Always read the list of ingredients on the label of each prepared food before letting your children consume it.
Be very careful at restaurants. If in doubt, always check with the restaurant if the food contains ingredients that your children are allergic to.
If your children have experienced food allergy reaction before, their doctors may prescribe oral antihistamine or injectable adrenaline (in severe cases) for you to carry with you at all times.
If your children have food allergy, it is strongly advisable for them to wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace, or carry a medical alert card that lets others know that your children have a food allergy in case they have a reaction and they are unable to communicate.

If they experience food allergy symptoms:

Bring them to SEE A DOCTOR immediately.
Inform someone (family, friends, work colleagues) so they can help you.
If they experience any of the severe symptoms mentioned, bring them to the EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT immediately.
If you have antihistamine or injectable adrenaline with you, use them en route to seeing a doctor.
Do not delay seeing a doctor because food allergy may be life threatening.

KNOW YOUR ALLERGY, SAVE A LIFE.

GET TESTED TODAY.

Test Method

Blood Test

Our immune system produces antibody called IgE against certain food we consume. Therefore, if we can detect these specific IgE antibodies, we are able to find out which food we are allergic to.

This is simply known as food allergy test. Only a blood sample is needed to carry out this test, and it can be done on the same day visit to the doctor. The results are extremely useful for you and the doctors to manage the allergies appropriately.

Results are typically available in about a week and are reported as a numerical value.

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