Your 7DROPS lab report is here, and it shows that you have sensitizations to certain allergens and/or possible food intolerances.
While your personalized dashboard should give you an easy-to-understand overview of your results, the long-form available for download (PDF) is meant to be shared with your GP or an allergy specialist (regarding ALL results), or a ceritfied nutritionist (regarding FIT results).
DIAGNOSIS & DISCUSSION
The 7DROPS at-home testing kit was developed by the global leaders in multiplex immunodiagnostics – our method uniquely tests for nearly 100% of the world’s relevant allergens and food antigens. The lab report is designed to give a clear and concise summary of your sensitization status, but it is not a diagnosis. Only a medical professional can give you a proper diagnosis and answer follow-up questions by looking at your lab report, examining your symptoms and taking your medical history into consideration.
ALLERGY PREVENTION
The most effective approach of dealing with allergies is taking preventative measures. An allergy specialist can discuss your allergy test results with you and give you tips on how you can avoid allergens and situations that trigger symptoms in the first place. It is usually impossible to avoid all allergens you might react to, but exposure can be limited through certain lifestyle changes your allergy specialist can teach you about. Likewise, your GP can give you dietary recommendations for your food intolerances or refer you to a nutritionist who can work out a diet plan with you.
MEDICINE PRESCRIPTIONS
Especially if you only recently experienced allergy symptoms and subsequently took a test to investigate your sensitizations further, chances are high that you have not figured out the right kind of medication to ease your symptoms yet. Your allergy specialist will prescribe you the medication (e.g., antihistamines, nasal corticosteroid sprays, etc.) that best fits your needs, or adjust your current medication if need be. Self-medicating with over-the-counter allergy medication is not the way to go, as your allergy symptoms will not be controlled in the best way possible, and you might experience unwanted side effects like drowsiness or nausea.
IMMUNOTHERAPY CONSULTATION
Depending on the severity of your allergy and the type of allergen causing your symptoms, immunotherapy to reduce symptoms over time might be an option for you. Your allergy specialist will show you options personalized to your allergy and medical history. Depending on the type of immunotherapy you might receive, you will have to come back to your allergist’s office in pre-determined intervals for check-ups and injections.
GENERAL CONSULTATION
Sometimes allergy patient’s symptoms change in severity or frequency over time, or they might experience unwanted side effects from medication that used to work well for them in the past. An allergy specialist will be able to figure out what is causing this change and adjust therapeutic measures to best fit your individual needs.
REMEMBER YOUR GOALS
The goal of allergy and food intolerance testing is always to give a comprehensive insight into a patient’s sensitization status and make a proper diagnosis by a medical professional possible. By taking the 7DROPS at-home allergy or food intolerance test, you already took a big step towards reaching that goal – by sharing and discussing your results with a specialist, you ensure that you will reach that goal, as well as improve and maintain the best quality of life possible.