AllergyCheck Test from YorkTest Laboratories is the quickest way to help you control your allergy and avoid the allergens that cause your reaction.
The AllergyCheck tests for the 'Top 12 Environmental Allergens' and can help to identify anything from allergies for hay fever, house dust mites to latex allergies.
- Quick, easy-to-use home test
- Designed to pinpoint what is causing you allergic reactions
- Measures the severity of your allergic reaction to the most common environmental allergens (see FAQs)
- Your laboratory analysed test results are presented in an easy to interpret format for each of the allergens tested, indicating the strength of the reaction on a scale of 0-2. A score of 0 is a negative reaction and 2 is a positive reaction.
- Your test results are presented as a detailed chart that can be handed to your GP or Healthcare Practitioner.
- Customer care support to advise on any queries you may have before or after receiving your results
If you suffer from an allergy it's vital to identify what you are allergic to, so you can start to deal with the problem.
Allergies show themselves in all sorts of unpleasant symptoms that can range from a mild irritant to a dangerous reaction. They are also very particular to each individual person, with different allergens causing different reactions in the bodies they invade.
You may be aware of what is causing your reaction, but sometimes sufferers are left wondering what on earth it is that is causing their symptoms, or they may have an idea what is irritating them, but not be entirely sure.
A specific allergy check will mean that you are equipped with the information you need to start combating the cause of your symptoms and minimising the consequences.
Is an Allergy Check for me?
Check the list of symptoms below - if some or all of them apply to you then you could be suffering from an allergy and the Allergy Check test might be able to provide you with the information you need to take control.
Sneezing
Coughing
Runny nose
Itchy eyes, ears, lips or roof of the mouth
Wheezing
Swelling
Sinus pain (pressure or pain high up in the nose, around the eyes and the front of the skull)
Asthmatic-like symptoms
How is AllergyCheck Test carried out?
YorkTest will supply you with all that you need to carry out the AllergyCheck Test in the comfort of your own home. The test uses a simple finger-prick device and there is no need to go to a clinic or visit a doctor. The test is very quick and easy to carry out yourself .
Taking the AllergyCheck Test
Your AllergyCheck test kit will contain everything you need to take the test in four easy steps:
1. Fill in the enclosed customer details form and write your name and date clearly on the side of the orange tube with the pen provided. Then soak you hands in warm water for one minute and dry thoroughly.
2. Place the lancet on your finger or thumb and press the purple part of the lancet down to pierce your skin. Massage your finger or thumb until there are large droplets of blood.
3. Hold your finger or thumb directly over the orange tube to drop the blood in. Keep massaging until to produce a few droplets of blood until it reaches the orange line.
4. Immediately place the orange tube inside the larger container tube. Place this and the used lancets in the prepaid envelope provided and return to us the same day.
View an example result letter
AllergyCheck Test - FAQs
Q. What does the AllergyCheck test for?
A. The Allergy Check tests whether you might be allergic to:
- House Dustmite
- Birch
- Hazelnut pollen
- Grass pollen mix (sweet vernal grass / timothy grass / ryegrass / rye / velvet grass)
- Mugwort
- Stinging nettle
- Aspergillus fumigatus
- Alternaria alternata
- Cladosporium herbarum
- Dog epithelium
- Cat epithelium
- Latex
Q. When will I receive my results?
A. It will take 10-12 working days to send your results back to you by post. Also included will be information about how you can work with your results and avoid the allergens that are causing your reactions.
Q. What do the test results look like?
A. The results are easy to understand – they are clearly laid out and fully explained.
Q. What is in the AllergyCheck Test kit?
A. The test kit is sent in a tough, secure box which contains:
- Fully illustrated and complete instructions
- Antiseptic wipe
- Two simple-to-use finger prick lancets
- A blood sample collection tube
- A container tube with absorbent pad
- A small sterile plaster for you to use on your finger after the test is complete
- A reply-paid envelope for you to return the sample in.
Q. What am I going to have to send you?
A. Using the finger prick lancets you’ll prick your finger or thumb tip, and put a few drops of blood into the collection tube.Follow all the instructions closely, complete the customer details form and send everything back in the reply-paid envelope.
Q. How do I complete the test kit?
A. Full, illustrated instructions will be sent with the kit.
Q. How do I prepare for the test?
A. It’s important to keep your routine as normal as possible before you take the test. If you have avoided an allergen for a period of time, it may produce a false negative.
Q. Is posting back my sample safe?
A. The box that contains your kit is very strong – in all the years that the laboratory have operated they have never had any problems with tests being damaged in transit. Return your sample following the instructions, and it will be completely safe.
Q. Will any medication or nutritional supplements I am taking affect the test?
A.You cannot take any of the tests if you are pregnant or breast feeding, or taking steroids or immunosuppressants.
Q. How soon do I have to return my sample?
A. You should ideally post your sample back to the laboratory on the same day that you take it. This stops the sample from degrading over time and gives the most accurate results. You will also need to avoid posting the sample later in the week to make sure that it arrives on a working day and processing can begin immediately.
Q. Does the test hurt?
A. The test has been designed to be a convenient and comfortable as possible. YorkTest’s finger prick is much quicker and less painful than having a full blood draw taken.If you are at all worried, the YorkTest Customer Care team are happy to talk to you about the best way to take your sample.
Allergy-like symptoms can have a number of causes, so do visit your health practitioner if you are concerned about your health, or ask your local pharmacist for advice.
If you are still concerned that you might be suffering from an allergy and need to know the cause, the AllergyCheck Test does check for multiple environmental allergens.
IMPORTANT: You should not take the AllergyCheck Test if you are pregnant or are suffering with a blood borne disease such as HIV or Hepatitis B. The test is also unsuitable for children under the age of four years old.
Please note that AllergyCheck Test is available in the UK and Ireland only