Biscuit Health partners up with local clinicians (family doctors, NDs, NPs, etc.) in your community to offer the gold standard in allergy testing, skin testing. This is the type of testing offered at most allergists' offices and is suitable for the majority of patients.
Skin Testing — The Gold Standard:
Skin testing is done by placing a small drop of allergen along with a tiny prick of the skin that's relatively painless. If you are allergic to the allergen, you will develop a small bump on your skin that may be accompanied by minor itching within 15-minutes.
Skin Testing — What To Expect
When getting tested with one of our partner local clinicians, your provider will:
Have an informed consent discussion around skin testing for allergies with you
Dis-infect your forearm, and draw a grid with a pen
Place a single drop of each antigen on your forearm
Prick your skin with a small needle, just deep enough to puncture the skin
Identify allergenic reactions that indicate a positive test result
Discuss your results with you and upload results to our portal for next steps
Blood Testing — IgE:
In cases where a patient may not be eligible for skin testing such as a history of anaphylaxis, or if you are taking contraindicated medications, or if a local clinician is not available, we can offer an alternative in the form of a blood test. Blood tests have been proven to be an effective alternative to skin testing, with slightly lower sensitivity rates.
When it comes to blood testing, Biscuit Health only performs IgE testing, as it is the only type of blood test that has been proven to be effective. IgE blood testing is done by collecting a blood sample via a thin needle from a vein in your arm. This needle may cause a mild pinch and some discomfort and typically takes just a few minutes. This blood sample is then analyzed at our lab for both total and specific IgE levels which tell us what allergens may be causing an allergic reaction in your body.
NOTE: Biscuit Health does not recommend IgG testing, and will not accept IgG test results for treatment. Results from IgG testing provide an indication that your body has been exposed to substances, rather than an allergic reaction to them. It is important to note the difference between intolerances or sensitivities against allergies. For the purpose of immunotherapy, IgG testing lacks evidence as an effective tool for diagnosing allergies. Both the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI) and American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) warn against using this type of testing in medical decisions as they are "unvalidated" for the purpose of treating allergenic responses.
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