Copyright © VSM Pharmacy Limited. All rights reserved. vsmpharmacy.co.uk is a trading name of VSM Pharmacy Limited. Registered office: 124 Frimley Road, Camberley, Surrey, United Kingdom, GU15 2QN. Registered in England: company number 12182298.
Allergy Testing
Welcome to VSM Pharmacy's Allergy Test & Treat Service!
Your First Step Towards Allergy Relief!
Did you know there are so many things people can be allergic to?
Dust mites and ragweed can lead to allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hay fever, causing symptoms like itchy eyes and a persistent itchy throat. Allergens can also lurk in our food – gluten intolerance and cows milk protein allergy are just a few examples. Even your beloved pets, like hypoallergenic cats or dogs, could be causing an allergic reaction rash or even chronic rhinitis.
Our private allergy testing service utilises a simple, minimally invasive finger-prick blood test to identify your specific allergens. This is not just an ordinary allergy test, but a comprehensive blood testing procedure designed to detect intolerances to over 78 substances, including the “14 allergens” as recognized by the NHS. Whether you’re wondering about gluten intolerance, dairy allergy, or shellfish allergy, we’re here to help you find the answers.
When your body encounters an allergen, it releases histamine, causing a range of symptoms, from itchy eyes and throat to an allergy rash. This biological process is the root cause of your discomfort. But with an accurate allergy blood test, which you can conveniently access in our Camberley pharmacy, we can pinpoint what’s triggering your allergic reactions.
Based on the results, our pharmacists are authorised to dispense a range of medications, including antihistamines and other treatments specifically tailored to manage allergies like hay fever, rhinitis, and various food intolerances.
At VSM Pharmacy, we believe in proactive and personalised care. Our Allergy Test ‘n Treat Service not only helps identify the triggers of your allergies but also empowers you with the right treatments to manage them effectively.
Whether you’re dealing with hay fever, dust mite bites, a food intolerance or a penicillin allergy, our service offers a private and convenient solution to test and treat your allergies. And yes, we do offer tests for dog allergies too!
Take control of your allergies today. Visit us in-store to learn more about our Allergy Test ‘n Treat Service. With private allergy testing near me now made accessible, you can start your journey towards effective allergy management today.
What allergies can the blood test reveal?
Allergies Testing
If you suspect an allergy, you can get tested for a wide array of allergens, including common ones like cat and dog dander, house dust mites, milk, and wheat. We can also test for specific allergens like almond, apple, ash, various types of grasses (like Bahia Grass and Bermuda Grass), birch, Cladosporium herbarum (a type of fungus), carrot, CCD (Cross-reactive carbohydrate determinants), cockroach, cod, ragweed, crab, cypress, egg white, English plantain, hazelnut (both as pollen and food), horse dander, various types of meat, mugwort, olive, orange, peach, peanut, potato, rice, rye, salmon, shrimp, soy, Timothy grass, and tomato.
Food Intolerances Testing
Food intolerances can cause discomfort and inflammation, affecting your overall health and wellness. Our intolerance testing includes substances like almond, amaranth, apple, banana, green bean, beef, blue mussel, buckwheat, cabbage, carrot, celery, chicken, cod, cucumber, egg white, egg yolk, garlic, goats milk, hazelnut, herring, kiwi fruit, maize, milk, mustard, oat, onion, orange, green pea, peanut, pork, potato, rice, rye, salmon, sheep’s milk, shrimp, soy, tomato, walnut, and wheat.
By understanding your body’s reaction to these specific substances, we can provide you with a personalised action plan to manage your allergies or intolerances, leading to improved quality of life. Visit us in-store today and begin your journey towards better allergy and intolerance management.
How does the service work?
Here’s how it works:
Initial Screening Consultation: Our trained pharmacists will take a finger-prick blood sample using the innovative klarify.me allergy test kit. This sample is then sent to our partner lab for detailed analysis.
Allergen Analysis: Using ELISA testing for raised IgE antibodies to detect 38 allergies and 40 IgG4 antibodies to detect food intolerances, this test offers accurate lab results to enable you to optimise your diet and lifestyle. By testing both IgE and IgG4 antibodies we give you a more comprehensive picture of possible causes of symptoms aiding more effective elimination or further investigation.
Results Interpretation: Within two weeks, your test results will be returned to the pharmacy. In a follow-up consultation, our pharmacists will interpret these results in conjunction with your allergy history gathered during the initial consultation.
Prescription and Treatment: Based on the results, our pharmacists are authorised to dispense a range of POMs, including inhalers, nasal sprays, tablets, and creams. These medications are typically only available on prescription and can help manage your specific allergies more effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of the testing is £139 which includes the follow up appointment and assessment of your results.
An allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction where the majority of cases are caused by a type of antibody (immunoglobulin) known as IgE, and to become allergic you must go through the sensitisation process.
Allergy may affect your family life, work performance, social activities and more. Allergy symptoms can affect your sleep, which can impact your energy levels during the day. And ultimately some allergies can even be life-threatening.
The sensitisation process occurs when you first meet the allergen. It is likely in these early encounters that you do not develop allergy-like symptoms.
Food intolerance is a difficulty in digesting some foods and having an unpleasant physical reaction to them. Also, food intolerance response takes place in the digestive system. It occurs when you are unable to properly breakdown the food.
Food allergy:
- The body mistakes a certain food as an invader, like virus or a bacteria, and tries to get rid of them
- The food triggers an allergic reaction, and immune cells respond by releasing histamines and antibodies
- The response is immediate or within 3o minutes of eating the food
- Even a small amount of the food can cause a reaction
- Symptoms occur every time you eat the food
Food intolerance:
- The body tries to digest and use the food, but has difficulty doing so
- The food doesn’t affect the immune system, but causes problems in the digestive system
- The response is more likely to be delayed, occurring within a few hours or even a day of eating the food
- Sometimes small amounts are tolerated well, but larger amounts cause symptoms
- Symptoms may occur only sometimes, like if you eat a lot of the food, or you eat it often
There are many types of allergies. The severity of symptoms for each type can vary, and you may experience your symptoms differently from other people with allergy.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction might include:
- blocked stuffy nose
- itchy watery eyes
- headaches
- tiredness in the morning
- skin reaction
- asthma
- bloating
- diarrhoea
- nausea
Intolerance causes symptoms that happen gradually. Consequently, a few hours after eating the problem food. Furthermore, it only results in symptoms if you eat a substantial amount of food.
Certain common symptoms include:
- stomach ache
- bloating
- diarrhoea
- skin rashes
- itching
- migraines
- runny nose
- irritable bowel
- hives
Allergy and intolerance testing may help you to find out which triggers might be causing your symptoms and to rule out others. Having the right information can help you to better manage your allergy.
It is not a diagnosis.
You will receive the blood results normally within one week.
There are a few types of medication that may stop your test from being accurate.
- Immune suppressant medications – they can affect the results of the testing
- Antihistamines – We advise stopping antihistamine use for 3-5 days before taking your appointment.
The blood sample is tested in the laboratory based in Derby, UK.
Tests are completed in laboratory facilities which follow Good Laboratory Practice. These are a set of principles intended to ensure the quality and integrity of non-clinical laboratory studies.
Patient’s blood sample is analysed using the innovative ELISA (which stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) which is a technique to detect the presence of antigens in biological samples.
You will need to be well hydrated, so we recommend to drink 500ml of water 30min before your appointment.
Allergies:
- Almond
- Apple
- Ash
- Bahia Grass
- Bermuda Grass
- Birch
- Caldosporium Herbarum
- Carrot
- Cat Dander
- CCD
- Cockroach
- Cod
- Common Ragweed
- Crab
- Cypress
- Dog Dander
- Egg White
- English Plantain
- Hazelnut (Pollen)
- Hazelnut (Food)
- Horse Dander
- House Dust Mites
- Meat
- Milk
- Mugwort
- Olive
- Orange
- Peach
- Peanut
- Potato
- Rice
- Rye
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Soy
- Timothy Grass
- Tomato
- Wheat
Intolerances:
- Almond
- Amaranth
- Apple
- Banana
- Bean, Green
- Beef
- Blue Mussel
- Buckwheat
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Celery
- Chicken
- Cod
- Cucumber
- Egg White
- Egg Yolk
- Garlic
- Goats Milk
- Hazelnut
- Herring
- Kiwi Fruit
- Maize
- Milk
- Mustard
- Oat
- Onion
- Orange
- Pea, Green
- Peanut
- Pork
- Potato
- Rice
- Rye
- Salmon
- Sheep’s Milk
- Shrimp
- Soy
- Tomato
- Walnut
- Wheat
Our address is 124 Frimley Road, Camberley, GU15 2QN.
Our pharmacy’s allergy and intolerance testing service is easily accessible from Camberley, Blackwater, Sandhurst, Frimley, Deepcut, Cove, Hawley, Mytchett, Crowthorne, Surrey Heath, Farnborough, Finchampstead, Ash Vale, Fleet, Bisley, Windlesham, Aldershot, Brookwood, Hartley Wintney, Sunninghill, Pirbright, Bagshot, Bracknell and many other locations in Surrey.
