food allergy testing hospital

The most reliable first choice for food allergy testing in China is a public tertiary hospital with an independent allergy department (allergy department). Secondly, you can choose a public tertiary hospital with strong pediatrics and dermatology diagnosis and treatment capabilities. High-end private allergy specialists with formal allergen testing qualifications can also be used as alternatives. Unqualified private institutions, beauty salons, and online self-test kits are not recommended for related testing.

Last week, I accompanied my downstairs neighbor to take her 3-year-old little Chengzi to the allergy department of Xiehe Union Medical College for a follow-up consultation. Previously, this parent followed the recommendation of a maternal and child blogger and bought a fingertip blood self-test box worth more than 300 yuan online. It found out that the child is allergic to milk and eggs. She was severely allergic to food, wheat, and soybeans. She was so scared that she did not dare to touch these things for her child for two months in a row. She only had millet porridge with boiled vegetables every meal. Not only did her child lose two pounds, she also complained of itching all the time recently, so she rushed to register. The doctor first asked a round of medical history - have you ever had a rash after eating steamed eggs? Does drinking ordinary milk powder cause diarrhea? All the answers I got were negative, and I did a skin prick and serum-specific IgE test. The final results showed that only milk allergy was mild, and the rest were normal. The so-called "allergy indicator" in the self-examination kit was actually food IgG, which could not be used as a basis for allergy diagnosis. The parents became red-eyed on the spot and regretted that their intestines were turning blue. They had made their children suffer for two months for nothing.

Speaking of which, I have to mention one of the most controversial issues in the industry right now: many institutions package and sell food IgG tests as "food allergy tests", charge you thousands of dollars, and finally give you a list of dozens of taboos. The current mainstream view in the domestic allergology community is very clear: the 2022 edition of the "China Food Allergy Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines" clearly states that food-specific IgG testing cannot be used as a basis for the diagnosis of food allergy. This indicator can only reflect that you have been exposed to this food and has nothing to do with allergies. However, some gastroenterologists hold a different view: they believe that for patients with long-term unexplained bloating, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome, IgG results can be used as a reference for dietary adjustments, but the premise must be combined with clinical symptoms. Allergy cannot be determined by looking at one test result alone.

Don’t rush in just because the hospital’s advertisement says “allergen testing can be done”. Before registering, check the department introduction on the hospital’s official website to see if there is a specialized allergy department, or if the dermatology and pediatrics introductions mention allergen testing and food allergy diagnosis and treatment related items. If you choose a private institution, you must ask two questions in advance: first, whether it has allergen testing qualifications approved by the local health commission, and second, whether the person who interprets the report is a registered medical practitioner. In some institutions, nurses do the testing, and the customer service reads the report to you and tells you about taboos. This is pure fooling around.

I have been in outpatient clinics for almost five years, and I have seen too many patients who shout "the doctor will prescribe me a full set of allergen tests" as soon as they come in. In fact, it is completely unnecessary. Prescribing hundreds of tests without looking at symptoms is like going to the hospital and asking you to do a full physical examination when you have a cold. It is a pure waste of money. Just last month, there was a girl who just went to college. Every time she ate mangoes, her mouth became red and itchy. She had to order more than 300 tests. I asked her clearly about her symptoms and directly ordered a mango skin prick and specific IgE test. It only cost more than 80 yuan in total. The results came out in half an hour. It was indeed a mango allergy, which saved her thousands of dollars. Really, the more testing items the better, the more reliable it is to let the doctor prescribe targeted items based on your own symptoms.

By the way, there is another detail that many people tend to forget: one week before going for a skin prick test, you must not take antihistamine-based anti-allergic drugs, such as loratadine and cetirizine. Otherwise, it will inhibit the allergic reaction of the skin, and the results will all be negative, which is equivalent to a wasted trip. If you have already taken medicine, tell your doctor to do a serum specific IgE test first. This is not affected by the medicine, but the results are slower, usually 3 to 7 days.

There is one more thing I need to make clear to everyone: whether it is a prick or blood test for IgE, they are only screening methods. The gold standard for diagnosing food allergy is the oral food challenge test, which means eating the suspected allergic food bit by bit under the supervision of a doctor and observing whether there is any reaction. Many parents take test reports and say that their children are allergic to wheat, but there is nothing wrong with eating noodles and steamed buns. There is no need to restrict these foods. If you are really worried, do a provocation test. Don't give your children dietary restrictions casually, as it will affect the growth and development of the child.

In fact, finding the right hospital for testing is only the first step. Food allergies vary greatly from person to person. Don’t just look at other people’s test results and try it on yourself, and don’t be so frightened that you dare not eat anything when you see a positive result. It’s better than anything else to see a professional doctor with the report and interpret your actual symptoms.