What is the Role of this Test in Diagnosing and Managing Upper Respiratory Disease?
Causes of nasal symptoms associated with upper respiratory disease (URD) can range from aspirin intolerance to pregnancy. The exact etiology of allergy-like symptoms is often difficult to determine definitively. The origin could be allergic, bacterial, viral, or pathological and is virtually impossible to establish with an empirical assessment alone. Compounding this, consumer awareness is at an all-time high. Patients often come in with a pre-determined self-diagnosis and request for therapy. History and physical are important, but further inquiry is often necessary to provide an evidence-based diagnosis and treatment regimen. ImmnoCAP Specific IgE blood test can definitively rule in or rule out atopic disease as the cause of or contributing factor to these symptoms. Once a definitive diagnosis is reached, regardless of the presence or absence of atopy, appropriate treatment options can be employed. When atopy proves to be a factor in URD, avoidance is considered the primary therapeut
