Lab tests
How to read allergy test results
Allergy reports list each substance tested with a number, a class, or the size of a skin reaction, and the codes beside them are rarely explained. Add your report below to see each allergen named and its result set out.
Explain your allergy test report
- 1. Add itDrop a PDF, take a photo or paste the text.
- 2. Check itPersonal details are removed on your device. You approve what is sent.
- 3. Read itSummary, table of results, terms and questions to ask.
The explainer opens on its own page with no adverts and no outside scripts. Your file is read on your device and is never uploaded.
What you get
- Each allergen on its own row with the result as printed.
- Allergen codes such as d1 or f13 matched to the names on the report.
- The class scale and units such as kU/L explained.
- Questions to take to your doctor or allergy clinic.
What allergy reports contain
- Specific IgEThe amount of antibody in the blood directed at one allergen, in kU/L
- Class or gradeThe specific IgE result grouped into bands, commonly 0 to 6
- Total IgEAll IgE antibody in the blood, whatever it is directed at
- Skin prick testThe size in millimetres of the wheal raised by each allergen
- Positive and negative controlsChecks that the skin test is working
What this tool cannot tell you
A positive result shows sensitisation: the immune system has made antibody to that substance. It does not prove that the substance causes symptoms, and the size of the number does not reliably predict how severe a reaction would be. MedicDecode explains the report. Do not remove foods from your diet or stop avoiding something because of it; ask your doctor.
Common questions
What does 0.35 kU/L mean on an allergy test?
It is a common cut-off: many laboratories report specific IgE at or above 0.35 kU/L as detectable (class 1). Your report prints the cut-off its own laboratory uses.
What is considered a high allergy score?
Higher classes (for example 4 to 6) mean more IgE was found, but the number alone does not show how strong a reaction would be. It is read together with your symptoms.
What does a +1 mean on an allergy test?
On a skin prick report, +1 is a small reaction on a scale that usually runs to +4. On a blood test, class 1 is the lowest detectable level.
Does a positive result mean I am allergic?
Not necessarily. Many people have a positive test to something they tolerate without symptoms. An allergy is diagnosed from the test together with your history.
What do the classes mean?
They are bands of the specific IgE value, from class 0 (not detected or very low) upward. The exact cut-offs are set by the laboratory and often printed on the report.
What is total IgE for?
It is a general measure and can be raised for many reasons. It does not identify what a person is allergic to.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
ALT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver; when liver cells are irritated or damaged, more ALT leaks into the blood.
- AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
AST is an enzyme found in the liver, muscles, heart and other tissues; raised levels can signal stress or damage in one of these.
- Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a yellow substance made when old red blood cells break down; the liver processes it so it can leave the body.
- Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product from normal muscle activity that the kidneys filter out, so its blood level helps show how well the kidneys work.
- CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
CRP is a protein made by the liver that rises quickly when there is inflammation or infection in the body.
- Culture and Sensitivity
A culture and sensitivity test grows germs from a sample to identify them, then checks which antibiotics can stop them.
- eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
eGFR is an estimate of how well your kidneys filter waste from your blood, calculated from a creatinine blood test plus details like age.
- Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals in the blood, such as sodium, potassium and chloride, that carry an electric charge and help the body work.
- ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
ESR measures how fast red blood cells sink in a tube of blood over an hour; a faster rate can be a general sign of inflammation.
- Fasting Sample
A fasting sample is blood taken after you have had nothing to eat or drink except water for a set number of hours.
- Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron; its blood level gives a good idea of how much iron the body has in reserve.
- HbA1c
HbA1c shows your average blood sugar over roughly the past two to three months by measuring how much sugar is attached to red blood cells.