>U Mom Knows Best: Discovering Food and Plant Allergies With imaware At Home Testing

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Discovering Food and Plant Allergies With imaware At Home Testing

Could your health symptoms be related to a food or plant allergy? Discover a simple at-home blood test that can test for 68 different allergies.

 Many years ago, I had seasonal allergies. I assumed that plants and weeds were the cause of my allergy symptoms because the drippy nose and cough always happened at the start of spring. When winter arrived, my seasonal allergy symptoms went away and I was able to discontinue the allergy medicine. Over-the-counter allergy medicine for the most part kept my seasonal allergy symptoms under control. 

 Then four years ago my allergy cough got worse and started to interfere with my daily life. I had to sleep sitting up and at times felt like I could not catch my breath. I started to wonder, "could it be asthma?" I knew the symptoms of asthma as two of my children have been diagnosed with asthma. While I waited for a doctor's appointment, I did some research and discovered that dairy products could cause asthma. I already was sensitive to things like milk and ice cream so I did a food elimination diet. Removing all dairy from my diet helped and my asthma symptoms got better. Later I discovered that my milk lactose issue was a dairy allergy through a food allergy blood test. 

 I still have many other asthma triggers, some that I know like mold from being allergic to penicillin and others due to things in the air like smoke, dust, and plants. I would love to know which plants I am allergic to so I could avoid them but I have never considered allergy testing for plant allergies as I don't want to be a human pin cushion. Nor do I want to visit an allergy specialist.

Testing for allergies made easy

 Traditional allergy testing requires a doctor's appointment and a skin-prick test. So that means several hours of being poked with needles filled with common allergens. Then to suffer from itchy skin hives. That does not sound fun to me. I have watched several of my children suffer through allergy testing and I will pass. So I was glad to discover an at-home food and respiratory allergy test

Quickly test yourself for 68 different allergies

 Not sure what’s causing some irritable symptoms like watery eyes, an itchy throat, and constant sneezing? This easy, wide-ranging test will determine your potential food and respiratory triggers so you can identify treatment options and protect yourself from severe reactions.

 I love that I can get more insight into which plants are making my allergy symptoms flare-up with a simple at-home allergy testing kit. The best part is I don't need to make an appointment with an allergy specialist or a doctor who tests for allergies. I also can avoid painful allergy skin testing. No waiting for a doctor's appointment, which could take months, is awesome!

This test will benefit anyone suffering from symptoms relating to indoor, outdoor, animal, insect, or food allergens.

 One simple finger prick is all it takes to have my blood tested for 28 food allergens and 40 specific respiratory allergens. So through this blood allergy test, I may discover not only the plants that I am allergic to but also if I am allergic to any other foods. So once I get my allergy testing results, I can avoid the food that may be triggering my asthma.

Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. with more than 50 million Americans affected each year.

 The imaware™ allergy test measures your Immunoglobulin E (IgE) which is an antibody that's produced by the body’s immune system in response to a perceived threat. This information can be immensely helpful in understanding which allergens may be causing undesired symptoms, so you can better prepare for allergy seasons and proactively reduce exposure at home. Even the presence of insects like cockroaches and dust mites can trigger an allergic reaction because their remains can survive even after they die.

+ CLIA Certified Labs: Laboratories are based in the United States, and CLIA  & CAP certified.

+ Physician Reviewed: Results are physician-reviewed once the sample has been processed.

+ Secure Data: We use industry-grade encryption to ensure your data is always protected.

Common allergy symptoms to watch for:

Allergic reactions can vary widely in both type and severity depending on the person and allergy. The following symptoms are strong indications that you should get tested:

+ Itchy or watery eyes

+ Sneezing and/or coughing

+ Periodic or persistent itching, hives

+ Congestion

+ Persistent diarrhea

+ Difficulty breathing

+ Nausea or vomiting

How it works

The at-home allergy test from imaware is a 3-step testing process and no appointment is necessary. Just order your home health kit online, collect & mail back your sample, then review your physician verified results online in less than a week.

 The food and respiratory test is just one of many at-home testing kits that you can purchase. This website offers a wide variety of at-home blood tests to help you detect & analyze your physical wellbeing. Last year, I purchased a home testing kit to check my cholesterol and I loved how simple it was to take a sample of my blood for the testing.  

It takes four simple tests to get the health results that you need.

1. Draw 5 drops of blood

2. Collect in the collection device

3. Secure and return the sample

4. Check your results online

What’s the benefit of early testing?

Identifying your allergies early can help reduce exposure to triggers and protect yourself from potentially severe reactions. This knowledge will also help you understand and pursue targeted treatment options that are available to improve your condition and reduce your risk. Periodically measuring your IgE levels will also allow you to monitor the effectiveness of your immunotherapy treatment.

 Testing for allergies means I can avoid the things that trigger my asthma so I can continue to manage my asthma without prescription medicine. I like to avoid harsh medicines with side effects and want to manage asthma symptoms naturally. So purchasing a home blood test kit to discover items that I am allergic to is a smart move.

Did you know most illnesses can be prevented through proactive screening?  

But every year, millions of Americans avoid traditional lab testing because it can be costly and inconvenient. Our mission is to help everyone gain access to easy and affordable at-home tests, so together we can prevent life-altering conditions and disease.

Get more information about imaware home screening test HERE

 Getting the sample of my blood was easy and I sent off my collection kit to be processed. I will update this post once I get the results back.

Update: My test results

When I received my allergy test results, I was surprised at the results. The blood allergy test was spot on for my mold allergy and showed it to be in the high range. The plants that I was sensitive to were Russian Thistle, Ryegrass, Alder, Maple elder, Maple leaf, Mugwort, Nettle, and Pigweed. The Russian Thistle - Tumbleweed, made perfect sense as we have plenty of that here in our yard. So I will make sure to wear my long gloves and pull the Tumbleweed when it first blooms. 

What surprised me about my testing was that I was sensitive to mouse urine, good thing that we don't have problems with mice in our house. Now the most surprising results were my food allergy testing. It revealed that I am allergic to cashews and tomatoes but not to milk. Food allergy testing can have false positives and false negatives as explained HERE. So it is important to do a food elimination diet with food allergies. 

 A food elimination diet can confirm food allergies. It was the elimination of dairy that made my severe asthma symptoms improve. If I eat a tiny bit of dairy, I have an asthma attack so I know that I am allergic to dairy. The other day I ate some candy with lactose in it and my whole body started itching. For the false positives, my son's allergist said to eat the food as long as it does not give you any problems. Next time I eat tomatoes or cashews, I will pay attention to see if I have any asthma symptoms.

Get more information about imaware home screening test HERE



17 comments:

  1. This is cool. I need to try it out. I am curious on the results I get.

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  2. This is so amazing! Medical technology really has come a long way. There was a time when you had to go in for this.

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  3. My son has allergies but we do not know all the triggers. I would love to really get to the bottom of this once and for all.

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  4. Thankfully we don't have any food allergies but I have a few friend who do. It's great to be able to test at home as it makes it so much easier.

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  5. This is awesome that we can now do testing for allergies at home! My daughter suffers from so many allergies.

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  6. This is amazing. I definitely need to try this out. I'm pretty sure I have some kind of allergies.

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  7. I would like to get this testing kit. Really would be helpful to me to eliminate a few things I suspect.

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  8. Thanks for sharing about this. It's so helpful especially for parents

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  9. Glad to read about this testing kit. I know a friend who would want love this.

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  10. That is very helpful to get and have testing done right at home. No waiting to get a doctors appointment and for the results.

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  11. It's really hassling to set for a doctor's appointment especially now that it's pandemic. Glad that there's products like this

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  12. It's great to discover allergies this way! My sister is trying to figure out at what she has allergie.

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  13. I would love to use one of these. I know certain foods are off the table for myself and my kids, be nice to know all of them!

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  14. This is really helpful and amazing! So convenient that you can do it at home.

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  15. This sounds like a useful way to test for food allergies. It's so important to be informed of one's allergies.

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  16. What a neat test to be able to take from home. I love the convenience of this.

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  17. i def need to check this out, i have a few chronic illnesses and would love to know if i have any that i don't know about.

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Thanks for the comment.

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