Nut Allergy Test Panel

Purpose of the Nut Allergy Test

The nut panel blood test helps confirm food allergies against nuts, specifically almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnut or filbert, peanut, pecan nut, and walnut. Your doctor may also require the test to detect the degree of allergic sensitivity prior to immunotherapy and monitor response to specific medications.

What Does the Nut Allergy Test Panel Measure?

Nut allergy testing often follows the standard protocol of IgE tests which involves screening for the antibodies immunoglobulin E (IgE). This type of antibody becomes elevated when you have an allergy.

The immune system mistakenly recognizes harmless substances (allergens) into dangerous entities, producing IgE, which is meant to fight the allergen. Hence, IgE is a perfect marker for nut allergies.

Specific IgE tests assess quantitative allergens like different types of nuts to identify the culprit. Additional tests may be requested to confirm the allergen. On the other hand, your test results for the nut allergy panel show antibody response to specific tree nuts. This makes the diagnosis easier.

Who Should Take a Blood Test for Nut Allergy?

People who repeatedly show allergy symptoms for more than two weeks should take an allergy test. If the allergic reaction is triggered after consuming nuts, inform your doctor to confirm the medical connection.

Nut allergy symptoms you should watch out for include:

• Stuffy nose
• Watery eyes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hives and tenderness
• Sneezing and sore throat
• Skin rashes and itchiness
• Swollen lips, face, and extremities

Withholding testing may put you at risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening shock against allergies. This could lead to breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, narrow airways, weak pulse, rapid skin rash, severe digestive distress, and even death.

Nut Panel Blood Test Preparation

No special preparation is needed prior to blood sample collection.

Tree Nut Allergy Test Results

The IgE test for nut allergy provides different reference intervals as a basis for its results, depending on the lab procedure. For example, Labcorp follows the Thermo Fisher ImmunoCAP® Allergen-specific IgE test, which sets the diagnostics procedure for nut allergy when the result shows more than 0.1 kU/L.

When the tree nut allergy is confirmed, further tests involving reflex testing are ordered to narrow down the specific nut that triggers the allergic reaction.

Where Can I Get Nut Allergy Testing Done Near Me?

If you suspect an allergy to tree nuts, book a nut allergy blood test to confirm the condition through the following steps.

Step 1: Check out our website’s Allergy Tests section, order the tree nut allergy testing and download the lab test order. This becomes your doctor’s order for your bloodwork.

Step 2: Using our lab locator, select a patient partner center near you.

Step 3: Go to the medical laboratory to have the blood collection performed.

Step 4: Expect the lab test results within 2-10 business days in your Personalabs account.

For an exact turnaround time for results, please contact us at 1-888-438-5227. We will contact the lab of your choice (Quest Diagnostics or LabCorp) as turnaround times vary depending on testing location or lab testing provider.