Are home test kits worth it? Allergies

Allergies

What are the symptoms? Different allergies show themselves in different ways. You may get a rash on your skin, you'll start sneezing, your eyes might water, or your throat might itch.

The DIY test

Allergy Test, £12.95, Imutest, www.imutest.com
Claim: 'Shows whether your level of allergy antibodies (IgE) is high or normal. Imutest is a clinically proven IgE allergy blood test, just like those used in hospital laboratories. We have simply made the test easy and safe to use at home.'
What do you do? It tests a droplet of your blood - you use a finger pricker. High levels of lgE antibodies are associated with allergy. If your test is positive, your specific allergy trigger can be confirmed with one of Imutest's specific allergy tests - cats, milk, eggs, pollen and dust mites etc.
Expert verdict: Even allergy specialists have problems diagnosing specific allergens, but an interesting way to confirm that you have allergic reactions. Leave the specific diagnosis to the specialist though - 5/10

What else can you do?

You can get professional allergy testing done, although it can be very expensive. It's usually fairly easy to spot an allergy, though, and you need to see your doctor to try to get preventative treatment and relief. Avoiding the 'trigger' is obviously the best way to identify and treat an allergy.