Should I Get My Allergies Retested to See If Therapy Is Working?
One of the most common questions we get is: should I be tested again for my allergies? The short answer is no; this is not clinically recommended.
Our doctors follow the evidence-based guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Otolaryngology. The academy does not recommend repeat testing to determine whether therapy is working. Instead, we focus on whether patients are feeling better or not.
A benefit of allergy treatment is that unlike some medications, such as blood pressure medication, you can tell if your allergy treatment works if you have fewer bad allergy days!
Why Don’t I Need to Retest?
We understand why you may want to retest. It’s natural to want objective data to determine whether treatment works. However, because of how allergy testing currently works, your old allergies will usually continue to show up on repeat testing even if therapy is working well.
How Are IgE Levels Used in Allergy Testing?
Allergy testing measures the IgE antibody levels in your blood. While you may no longer have allergy symptoms after consistently using immunotherapy, you will often still have IgE antibodies in your system. Retesting results may end up similar to your original results.
Does Allergy Immunotherapy Impact IgE Levels?
When exposed to your allergy triggers, your immune system produces IgE antibodies that bind to the allergens and release histamine to fight them off. Histamine causes allergy symptoms, which is why patients take antihistamines for symptom control.
Immunotherapy or allergy drops work by introducing small doses of your allergens to your body so your immune system can become desensitized. Over time, repeated exposure to low doses of your allergens increases the production of blocking antibodies that prevent allergens from binding to IgE antibodies, so you never release histamine or experience your allergy symptoms.
While allergy immunotherapy can block allergens from binding to IgE antibodies and create long-term relief, it does not eliminate IgE antibodies. Even when treatment is effective, you will still have IgE antibodies in your immune system that can appear on allergy tests.
When Do We Recommend Repeat Testing or Seeing an Allergist?
Occasionally, we recommend repeat testing if your environment changes or your symptoms suddenly worsen to ensure you have not developed a new allergy. Ultimately, our goal is to provide you with the best possible experience. If you are worried about whether therapy is working, contact our team, and we’ll have you check in with one of our doctors.
Will Allergy Testing Change in the Future?
Researchers may be able to help us quantitatively measure your immunotherapy response in the future, but right now, we just don’t have testing that works that way. Our goal as a practice is to provide the highest quality care using the evidence in the medical literature and our years of experience treating patients in our office.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology put out this evidence-based guideline after reviewing all the immunotherapy research. Our chief medical director and cofounder, Dr. Manan Shah, has been involved with the Academy of ENT for years and recently served as the Chair of the Young Physician’s section. Dr. Shah also sits on the legislative affairs and medical device and diagnostic committees.