Can primary care help enhance food allergy diagnosis?
In recent decades, there has been an increasing spotlight on food allergies, prompting a heightened overall awareness of the subject. Characterized by the immune system’s adverse reactions to certain foods and nestled within the broader realm of “food hypersensitivity”, food allergies can cause a wide variety of symptoms, sometimes making diagnosis difficult.
Food allergy impact
Prevalence data shows that food allergies affect approximately 3-10% of children and up to 10% of adults and have a significant impact on their quality of life.1
Food allergies can notably affect both physical and mental well-being, especially in certain cases.2,3 For example, children with food allergies face a 2 to 8 times higher likelihood of developing asthma or allergic rhinitis.1,4 Also, for individuals with asthma, food allergies constitute a significant risk factor in asthma development, emphasizing the need for proactive management.1,5
Importance of food allergy diagnosis
Food allergies are categorized into IgE-mediated, non-IgE mediated, and other reactions.1
Accurate diagnosis, especially distinguishing IgE-mediated reactions, is fundamental for developing an effective management plan.1,6
IgE-mediated food allergy1
- Reactions usually happen within a few minutes of eating the food?
- Common symptoms are reddening of the skin, an itchy rash, and swelling of the lips, face or around the eye?
- Immediate symptoms to the allergen are reproducible upon re-exposure?
- Evidence of IgE sensitization and/or effector cell response to the culprit allergen is available?
- A rare but more serious, potentially life-threatening, reaction is anaphylaxis.
Specific IgE testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Non-IgE-mediated food allergy1
- Reactions often appear several hours or days after the food is eaten?
- It can cause symptoms over a long period, such as eczema, diarrhoea, constipation and, in more severe cases, growth problems.
These symptoms are usually not caused by IgE antibodies, so no additional specific IgE testing is recommended
These steps walk you through a systematic approach to diagnose, treat, and manage your patient’s allergies by leveraging ImmunoCAP™ Specific IgE blood tests to aid their allergy diagnosis.
In patients with suspected IgE-mediated food allergy, begin with a detailed medical history to identify potential allergens, guiding the choice of allergen tests based on history, symptoms, and triggers.1,7
Using allergen specific IgE testing, you can determine IgE sensitization against allergen extracts from the potential culprit allergens.1,7,8
Eight allergens account for 90% of food allergies in children and young people, making their identification essential for accurate diagnosis and effective management.1
The use of ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests to detect antibodies to these allergens substantially improves diagnostic accuracy and the development of targeted management plans for patients.
After making a diagnosis, provide the patient and their family with allergen avoidance recommendations and prepare them for managing their allergic symptoms, including anaphylaxis, if applicable. A well established management plan includes regular follow up to monitor sensitivities and adjust treatment as necessary.9
More on how to use the ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test is well suited for use in primary care1,10-12*
- Can be used in any suspected food allergy patient, irrespective of medication condition or season.
- Accessible to general practitioners.
- Facilitates easy assessment of patients1 sensitization.
- Provides valuable insights for long term management and personalized care.
*Depending on the allergen
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test can be requested through pathology ordering systems13
- The lab requires 1mL blood for up to 10 tests.
- A result ≥0.1 kUA/L indicates sensitization and should be taken into consideration with the clinical history.
- Broadly available and reimbursed in most European countries. Contact your local laboratory for details.
In Summary
As a general practitioner, you play a pivotal role in the early stages of diagnosing and managing food allergies, particularly in conducting initial blood tests and referring patients to allergists when necessary9,14, ensuring that patients receive specialized care and individually tailored treatment plans
As the first point of contact for many patients who experience food allergy symptoms, you can help them navigate the full diagnostic and treatment journey. Specific IgE testing can help you uncover the full picture of your patient s food allergy symptoms and ultimately enhance their outcomes.
You have the power to make a difference.
Learn more about how to prescribe slgE tests.
For additional info on ImmunoCAP testing, allergies, and/or educational tools and resources, contact our allergy experts.
Relevant resources
Tools to aid in your diagnosis and patient management.
- Santos AF, Riggioni C, Agache I, et al. EAACI guidelines on the diagnosis of IgE mediated food allergy. Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2023;78(12):3057-3076. doi:10.1111/ALL.15902
- Feng C, Kim JH. Beyond Avoidance: the Psychosocial Impact of Food Allergies. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019;57(1):74-82. doi:10.1007/s12016-018-8708-x
- Cummings AJ, Knibb RC, King RM, Lucas JS. The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families: a review. Allergy. 2010;65(8):933-945. doi:10.1111/J.1398-9995.2010.02342.X
- Pate CA, Zahran HS, Physician L, et al. The Shifting Prevalence of Asthma and Allergic Disease in United States Children. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2022.06.030
- Emons JAM, Gerth van Wijk R. Food Allergy and Asthma: Is There a Link? Curr Treat Options Allergy. 2018;5(4):436-444. doi:10.1007/s40521 018-0185-1
- Jutel M, Agache I, Zemelka Wiacek M, et al. Nomenclature of allergic diseases and hypersensitivity reactions: Adapted to modern needs: An EAACI position paper. Allergy. 2023;78(11):2851 2874. doi:10.1111/ALL.15889
- NICE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Food allergy in under 19s: assessment and diagnosis Clinical guideline [CG116]. Published online 2011. Accessed January 2, 2024. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg116
- Gupta R, Sheikh A, Strachan DP, Anderson HR. Time trends in allergic disorders in the UK. Thorax. 2007;62(1):91. doi:10.1136/THX.2004.038844
- Muraro A, De Silva D, Halken S, et al. Managing food allergy: GA 2 LEN guideline 2022. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2022;15:100687. doi:10.1016/ j.waojou.2022.100687
- Johansson SGO. ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE test: An objective tool for research and routine allergy diagnosis. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2004;4(3):273-279. doi:10.1586/14737159.4.3.273
- Pali Schöll I, Namazy J, Jensen-Jarolim E. Allergic diseases and asthma in pregnancy, a secondary publication. World Allergy Organization Journal. 2017;10(1). doi:10.1186/s40413-017-0141-8
- Gupta N, Agarwal P, Sachdev A, Gupta D. Allergy Testing An Overview. Indian Pediatr. 2019;951.
- ImmunoCAP® Specific IgE Fluoroenzyme Immunoassay Calibrator Range 0 100 KU/l.
- Agache I, Ryan D, Rodriguez MR, Yusuf O, Angier E, Jutel M. Allergy management in primary care across European countries actual status. Allergy. 2013;68(7):836-843. doi:10.1111/ALL.12150
