Testing for Egg Allergy and How to Read the Results
Testing is only one piece of the puzzle. Whether a true allergy exists also depends on what happens after eating the food.
Common methods
- Skin prick test: quick and visual; you need to stop certain medicines that may affect the result, as instructed
- Specific IgE: a blood test, less affected by the condition of the skin
- Component-resolved testing: distinguishes antibodies against different egg protein components, which can help assess the chance of tolerance
- Food challenge: carried out in a hospital setting following standard procedures, and must be done by a specialist doctor
How to read the results
A positive result means sensitisation is present. It does not mean symptoms will always appear after eating. The level of the value and the severity of the reaction are not always parallel. The doctor will judge based on age, eating history, when symptoms appeared, and which body systems were involved. For children, it is also necessary to tell this apart from eczema itself, digestive tract infections, lactose intolerance and other conditions.
What to arrange next
After diagnosis, the scope of avoidance, a nutrition replacement plan, and a time for review need to be made clear. Parents are not advised to avoid the food long term or try to introduce it on their own based on a single test result. If a child has ever had serious signs such as difficulty breathing or a tight throat, any reintroduction should be done only after assessment at a medical facility.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If your symptoms affect daily life, please see a doctor.