The ImmunoCAP blood test is ordered by a doctor in order to determine if there is or is not an allergy present when a patient is experiencing allergy-like symptoms. It can also be used to determine if there is an atopic disease present in the upper respiratory tract. It can be hard to tell if allergies or disease are causing certain symptoms, so this test will be ordered to determine if there is a condition present and what allergen sensitivities may be causing them if disease is not suspected.
The ImmunoCAP blood test measures IgE in the blood that is made by specific allergies. It is often used to confirm a diagnosis of a medical allergy, but can be performed on several hundred known allergies from pet dander to pollen to food and everything in-between to confirm a diagnosis.
Why Is the ImmunoCAP Blood Test Ordered?
For doctors, the presence of a patient with an upper respiratory issue is a common sight. There are many people who will see a doctor because of sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, rhinitis, or allergies. The cause of these symptoms could be allergy-related, but they can also be caused by viruses and bacteria as well. A visual examination can lead to some clues about what is going on, but a visual examination does not provide a 100% diagnosis.
That’s why the ImmunoCAP blood test will be ordered. It has the capability of providing a specific diagnosis for the common symptoms that are behind a visit to the doctor’s office. Although it will not confirm the presence of certain diseases, it can rule out allergies as the cause of the bothersome symptoms a patient may be having.
No special conditions are required to have this blood test taken. The draw can occur on the same day that it is ordered.
When Should the ImmunoCAP Blood Test Be Administered?
A doctor will typically order this blood test when the symptoms of an allergy appear outside of the normal allergy season. Someone who has repetitive visits for upper respiratory distress will often have this blood test ordered, as will some people who have asthma or similar symptoms that suddenly appear and cannot be explained.
What Do the Test Results Mean?
The ImmunoCAP blood test will typically come back as normal for the average person. Having a low result is not typically bothersome because low levels of IgE that is allergen-specific will not cause the upper respiratory symptoms which may be difficult to handle for certcain patients.
It is the high levels of IgE levels that are of concern. For the vast majority of patients, the presence of high levels of IgE is typically a result of the presence of an allergy. Any time histamines are created because of an allergy exposure, there will be a high or positive result from the ImmunoCAP blood test. The benefit of this test is that it can provide quantitative measurements of the severity of an allergy to let people know that they have allergies to specific items.
What Is the Typical Outcome of the ImmunoCAP Blood Test?
Based on the results of this blood test, a more appropriate treatment regimen can be introduced to a patient who is suffering from bothersome upper respiratory symptoms. When allergies are present, the prescription of a beneficial anti-histamine product is usually the outcome. It is not uncommon for this test to be ordered to determine if someone already taking medications to stop allergies needs to have something of prescription strength instead of an OTC.
If the signs and symptoms of an infection are present, but there isn’t the presence of IgE in the blood test results, then this can be an indication for a doctor to prescribe antibiotics. This means the ImmunoCAP blood test can be ordered as a way to better administer antibiotics so that resistance to them becomes less of an issue.
For difficult symptoms that are not controlled by standard anti-histamine medication and an infection is not suspected, then steroids introduced through the nose may be recommended.
There is one final benefit to the patients who receive this test as well: fewer referrals. When a specific condition cannot be diagnosed by a family doctor, it is not uncommon to have that patient referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist to determine a specific course of treatment. The ImmunoCAP blood test is often cheaper than a visit to a specialist and it gives doctors the chance to start treating a patient more quickly than if they must wait to see a specialist.