Allergy hair testing

discountmummy

Does anyone know about allergy hair testing? Is is accurate or a waste of time and money? opinions appricated.

Bubby

I was told by Allergy uk that it isn't any good to have your hair tested. There is a blood test you can have through "york test" who are the only company who are endorsed by allergy uk but this is for "intolerances" not allergies. Can I ask why you are looking for allergy tests? If it is actually for an "allergy" then your gp can refer you for these or is it for "intolerances" rather than an allergy?

look_after_the_pennies

I don't know about allergy hair testing but I have seen an allergist therapist specialising in kinesiology. It was a weird experience but definitely worthwhile as it alerted me to allergies which I did not know I had.

discountmummy

It could well be for intolerences I suspect to wheat, I have had a blood test for coeliacs with came back negative but since then I have eaten wheat free and feel a whole lot better.

A friend of mine went for one of these tests at a herbal medicine place and it came back she was wheat intolerent, like me already had a negative blood test, was then refered by her doctor on these results to have a gut biopsy which then showed she did have coeliacs.

I also like the idea it is supposed to show all your intolerances. But I have read that these tests are unreliable.

look_after_the_pennies

If you think you have an allergy, it is best to keep eating what you think you are allergic/intollerant to before you have the test done. This will raise the level of antibodies in your blood stream and the allergy test will pick this up.

brook2jack

It is really important to understand the difference between allergy and intolerance.

An allergy can be a lifethreatening immune response .It is definatively tested by a patch test administered by an immunologist under strict hospital conditions. This is because any exposure to an allergen can be the one which causes an anaphylactic reaction ...... a catastrophic immune response that can kill.
Many people get confused and say they are allergic to eg antibiotics because they get diarrohea... this is not an allergy just a reaction to the gut flora being disturbed.

An intolerance is just that , the body(digestive system) finds it difficult to digest certain foods. However this is also where you have to be very careful,. Research shows 80% of people who say they are intolerant of some foods and have excluded them from their diet are actually not intolerant of anything at all.

A health food shop, hairclippings etc are NEVER going to diagnose an allergy ,you should see gp about referral to an immunologist.
They will diagnose you as having a food intolerance but the likelyhood is that will be a false diagnosis. See your gp to rule out Crohns disease,coeliac disease etc. If having problems.

Bubby

I think that the best form of a diagnosis to what you are intolerant to is to cut one thing out of your diet at a time to see whather your symptoms improve (speak to your gp about the length of time to cut items out). If you are suffering and want to be referred to a gastro clinic then you need to tell your gp and your reasons why. I have been referred to a gastro clinic because of continued diarrohea and stomach cramps which my gp wanted to pass off as IBS with no further testing:( but I insisted on a referral and even if I come back and the diagnosis is the same I will feel happy in the knowledge that it was investigated properly:)