In people with allergies the body produces antibodies against common environmental substances and foods that create the typical allergy symptoms we all know or have experienced.  The antibodies or mast cells produce histamine which causes the allergic response.  Although the reaction is based on a healthy bodily function designed to protect us from toxins in our food and the environment, many allergies are so extreme as to cause asthma and anaphylactic shock, which can lead to death in extreme cases.  Allergic rhinitis (an allergic inflammation of the nasal passages), red, itchy eyes and asthma can severely limit and restrict one’s lifestyle.

Not so long ago people, including many children, were subjected to hundreds of needle pricks containing different possible allergens to determine which ones caused the strongest reactions.  Research conducted in the 1970s has found that when the body experiences sensitivity or an allergy to a substance it produces antibodies that are specific to the allergen, called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) and these can be measured in the blood.  A simple blood draw can look for the specific antibodies to hundreds of substances using only one needle.