At Home Allergy Test Options

Let’s get technical! A respiratory or food allergy is an IgE immune response to a specific irritant. Immunoglobulins E (IgE) typically specialize in the defense against foreign invaders. If you have an allergy, your body has for whatever reason confused a harmless substance with a threatening pathogen. Possible substances that can be misidentified are proteins ingested by foods or proteins inhaled thru the respiratory system and found in pollen, animal hair, dust mites, and mold among other things. These possible allergy triggers are called respiratory and food allergens.

Allergies have a rapid onset of symptoms and may persist with prolonged exposure. They typically appear within seconds to just a few hours . If you or your child has experienced symptoms that you believe may be related to an allergy, testing the body’s IgE antibody response to this set of 295 targets may help determine the cause of physical symptoms.

• Digestive

• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating, or gas
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Gastrointestinal distress
• Stomach or abdominal pain
• Vomiting

• Head

• Face, tongue, or lip swelling
• Headaches
• Sinus congestion
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Tingling or itchy sensation in the mouth

• Body

• Anaphylaxis
• Coughing or wheezing
• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness
• Flushed skin
• General feeling of discomfort
• Inflammation or joint pain
• Rash, skin problems, or eczema
• Tingling or itchy sensation of the skin
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath

Food and respiratory allergens often share overlapping symptoms. Consider respiratory allergy testing together with food allergy testing to increase the likelihood of finding your trigger allergen(s) that may be causing symptoms.

Food allergies affect millions of Americans and their families. Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to certain proteins in food that would usually be harmless. Food allergic reactions vary in severity from mild symptoms to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. See below for the 9 most common food allergies in the USA.¹

• Egg
• Crustacean shellfish
• Fish
• Milk
• Peanut
• Sesame
• Soy
• Tree nut
• Wheat

• Test to confirm or rule out a food, respiratory or environmental allergy if you have symptoms:
• This test may benefit children two and older or any adult with physical symptoms possibly attributed to an IgE-induced response to a food or airborne allergen. If you or your child is open to identifying a potential allergy trigger, then this test may be for you. We measure the body’s IgE immune response to a comprehensive set of targets to identify possible allergens. Use results as a guide to limit future exposures to feel your best.

4U Health’s Complete Food & Respiratory Allergy Test is designed for individuals to identify food, respiratory and environmental allergies that may be causing unwanted symptoms. We do not recommend the using the results of the food allergy portion of your test to achieve weight loss.

If you suffer from chronic diarrhea or have had a severe allergic reaction with or without anaphylaxis, please contact your doctor immediately.

• This test is not intended for the following individuals:

• History of eating disorders: For people with a history of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, or any other related eating disorder, it is not recommended to utilize the test as part of a food elimination diet without the supervision of an attending physician.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women: Expectant and nursing women have specific nutritional needs. For this reason, they should not utilize this test as part of an elimination diet without the supervision of a healthcare provider or nutritionist.
• Specimens collected in New York State: This test is not available for patient self-collection in NY.
• Children under 2-years-old: The test taker must be 2+ years old.

Test now or later. Your self-collection test kit will arrive with an expiration date of at least 5 months from your order date. That’s great news if you are buying multiple kits for yourself or want to gift to a friend or family member for later use. All test samples must be collected and mailed by the expiration date on your kit. Our current lot of test kits expire on July 31, 2023.

All 4U Health tests are eligible for gifting. In fact, they make great presents. The recipient who receives your gift will simply open the kit, register it, and follow the collection instructions. Within a few days of sending to the lab, your friend or family member will receive secure electronic HIPAA compliant results all thanks to your generosity.

An elevated IgE level with some foods & inhalants may not cause symptoms. As such, an IgE level is not a standalone definitive diagnosis for a all allergens.

Many allergies are mild and only manifest themselves intermittently when the body experiences cumulative exposure to multiple allergens within a short timeframe. Furthermore, when reviewing results, we recommend considering the presence of IgE antibodies to Cross-Reactivity Carbohydrate Determinants (CCDs). Should IgE antibodies to CCDs be identified in a sample, studies show the likelihood of a possible false-positive or clinically irrelevant result increases. Taking antihistamines or cutting out specific allergen exposure before the test may also impact your results. For example, if you are allergic to dust mites and have thoroughly cleaned your sheets, pillowcases, and curtains along with the rest of your entire house and have not been exposed to dust mites for some time before your test, it may not show up as an allergy in your results.

Please note if you have a known allergy, do not expose yourself to it before this test. This could unnecessarily lead to the risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.

4U Health tests meet national standards and are as accurate as services provided in a doctor’s office or hospital. We only work with the highest quality CLIA certified laboratories and health experts. All testing complies with state and federal regulations. And our clinicians provide medical oversight throughout the entire process.

Rest assured; HIPAA security standards protect your data every step of the way while determining your potential allergies. Keeping your confidential data secure is our number one priority. We only share your information when required to deliver our products and services or where we are legally obligated to do so. Your results are securely protected and available for review in your online portal; always secure but easily accessible only to you.

Pay upfront and receive no surprise medical bills. 4U Health is not enrolled in Medicare or any other private insurance network. This test is not eligible for Medicare or any other federal or state-funded insurance program reimbursement.

So you still have unanswered questions. No worries, we’d love to hear from you. Reach us by e-mail, phone or chat and we will do our best to provide answers so you can determine if this is the best test for you or your child.

• 866-610-1200
• help@4uhealth.com
• Chat Support
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• PO Box 100083
  Pittsburgh, PA 15233