In This Article
In This Article
As many as 8% of children and 11% of adults suffer from some sort of allergy while an even higher percentage experience some type of intolerance.
Both intolerances and allergies can be a nightmare to deal with.
The best way to deal with these conditions is to avoid the food or environmental irritants that cause them.
That’s why these at-home tests have become so popular. But, seeing as so many of them have popped up on the market, it can be difficult to determine which ones are the most reliable.
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| Price | Test type | Results | Tests for | |
| EverlyWell | $199 | Blood sample | 5 business days | Environmental (both indoor and outdoor) allergies and intolerances |
| 5Strands Environmental Tolerance | $78 | Hair strands | 7-10 business days | Environmental allergies and intolerances |
| 5Strands Food Intolerance | $88 | Hair strands | 7-10 business days | Food allergies and intolerances |
| Test My Allergy | $169 | Blood sample | 7 working days | Both food and environmental allergies and intolerances |
EverlyWell’s allergy tests has a very high accuracy rate of 90% to 95% based on their independent laboratory testing.
This makes the EverlyWell Indoor & Outdoor Allergy Test one of the most accurate at-home allergy tests on the market.
Using a small blood sample, this EverlyWell allergy test kit will check if you’re sensitive to a variety of indoor and outdoor allergens. This includes nine types of weeds, 14 trees, four molds, seven kinds of grass, two pet allergens, two pests, and two types of dust mites.
Unfortunately, the test only checks for environmental allergies and doesn’t look at food allergens.
Key Features:
The Environmental Intolerance Test checks if you may be suffering from an adverse reaction to a variety of commonly found indoor and outdoor items.
The test is pain-free and uses five strands of your hair (hence the company name) to run its bioresonance screening. The intolerances it checks for can cause various symptoms, including sleeping problems, skin rash, headaches, and acne.
This hair test is quite extensive and covers 190 different environmental items. 5Strand’s test covers cleaning materials, trees, grasses, chemical additives, dust mites, flowers, etc. The actionable results you receive even include an avoidance guideline to help you narrow down which irritants are causing your adverse reactions.
Key Features:
I got one of 5Strands Delux Packages - which includes the Environmental Intolerance Test
Send in steps are very simple:
Overall, this is a very non-intrusive test and is easy to take. Once you've taken the test, you are emailed results (no dashboard). A sample pages of results looks like this:
5Strands suggests trying to eliminate Level 3 Intolerance first, and then moving to Level 2 if you are still experiencing issues.
The Food Intolerance Test checks for adverse reactions to 600 food intolerances and sensitivities.
The test is pain-free. It uses five strands of your hair (hence the company name) for bioresonance screening. The food intolerances it checks for can cause various health problems and symptoms.
This hair test is quite extensive and covers 600 different environmental items. 5Strand’s test covers:
Key Features:
Test My Allergy uses a blood sample to determine any food or environmental factors you may be allergic or sensitive to.
It’s a great starter test (if you can overlook the slightly higher price tag) because it’ll test you for a variety of allergens and intolerances both food and non-food. If you’re not at all sure what you’re sensitive to, this is a great test to determine any allergens.
Key features:
The best test for you addresses your concerns immediately and comprehensively, depending on your needs.
If you’re showing environmental allergy or intolerance symptoms, which are often similar, it may be a good idea to take a test that can help you narrow down what they may be.
If you’re unsure of what may be causing some allergic reactions or discomfort, you may want to try Test My Allergy first to determine if it’s a food or environmental allergy.
However, if you’re suffering from something like irritable bowel syndrome or suspect lactose intolerance, consider the 5Strands Food Intolerance Test.
The main differences between allergic reactions and intolerances are as follows:
Environmental or food allergies tend to be far more severe than intolerances. Food allergies can even be deadly in some cases.
Unlike food intolerance, a food allergy causes an immune system response. This can severely affect a number of your body’s organs. In some rare cases, such as seafood or peanut allergies, it can be life-threatening.
Environmental allergies are not nearly as serious as food allergies. Even so, they’re still rather unpleasant. They’re caused by something in your surrounding environment, such as dander or pollen.
These allergies also cause an immune response and have a number of unpleasant symptoms, including:
For those with asthma, an environmental allergy can be especially severe and life-threatening.
Intolerances tend to be far less severe than allergies, and aren’t life-threatening. Those with these food sensitivities can usually ingest small amounts of the offending food without much issue.
The symptoms of food intolerance can vary quite a bit depending on the type of intolerance. Some causes of food intolerances include:
This is when you lack the enzyme needed to digest lactose. Known as lactose intolerance, symptoms include diarrhea, gas, cramps, and bloating.
Some people are incredibly sensitive to certain common food additives. These include sulfites or preservatives. This intolerance can lead to trouble in breathing, including asthma attacks in those affected.
Certain foods can cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
This is especially true in sensitive populations. While the cause of IBS isn’t fully understood, it’s known that diet and food sensitivity play a role. Some IBS symptoms include constipation/diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and cramps.
This condition is caused by ingesting gluten. It is a protein that is commonly found in wheat and some other grains.
Celiac disease is considered a gluten intolerance. However, it causes an immune response similar to an allergy. The best treatment for this condition is eliminating gluten from your diet.
Intolerances to environmental items have many similar symptoms to environmental allergies. These two are often confused. Where they mainly differ is that an allergy involves the immune system, while an intolerance does not.
Rest assured that our recommended, trusted at-home allergy kit results are analyzed by an independent laboratory and are shown to have a 90% and 95% accuracy level.
If you take either EverlyWell’s allergy test or 5Strands Environmental Intolerance test, you’ll receive an avoidance guide to help you stay away from the environmental item that’s responsible for your discomfort.
With 5Strands Food Intolerance Test, you’ll receive an elimination diet guide to help you adjust your eating habits.
With Test My Allergy, you receive a report and an option to discuss your results with your doctor.
Currently, there are no ways to cure allergies.
However, some remedies can ease symptoms and reactions, as well as treat any lingering effects.
Insurance plans cover most allergy and intolerance tests, just make sure you check with your insurance company first for specific tests.
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