Mackerel Allergy Test

How Our Mackerel Allergy Test Works

Simply buy our Mackerel Allergy Test online, then visit one of more than 4,000 testing centers nationwide (no appointment required) whenever it’s most convenient for you. Our staff members will draw a small amount of blood from you, and most of our patients are done less than 30 minutes after arriving. Your sample will be processed at one of our CLIA-certified laboratories, and you’ll get your test results within 24 to 72 hours.

Common Mackerel Allergy Symptoms

Allergies to fish and shellfish are commonplace, impacting the lives of as much as two percent of Americans¹. Unlike many other food allergies, seafood allergies often don’t appear until adulthood: as many as 40 percent² of people with fish allergies could eat fish when they were children. Allergic reactions to mackerel can vary greatly from person to person, and they can include:

• Hives (urticaria)
• Tingling of the mouth, lips, and throat
• Itchy rash on your skin
• Runny nose
• Tightening of the throat
• Anaphylaxis

If left untreated, these allergy symptoms can become severe and even life-threatening. Anaphylaxis in particular is an allergic reaction to watch out for and treat immediately. 

Milder allergic reactions (such as hives) can often be treated with over-the-counter medication like antihistamines. In the event of a more severe allergic reaction, you should get immediate treatment at an emergency room.

How to Interpret Your Test Results

We want to make it as easy as possible to understand what your test results have to tell you. That’s why we use an Immunoglobulin-E (Ig-E) blood test that checks for the presence of antibodies that react to mackerel.

Your results will include a few elements. The first thing you’ll notice is the result section; this shows the level of immune reaction in your blood. The reference range is next: this tells you what those results should be in someone who isn’t allergic to mackerel. Meanwhile, the flags tell you whether your immune markers are high, low, or normal. A reactive test flag indicates that you are allergic to mackerel, while a nonreactive flag indicates that you aren’t.

It’s very common for people to be allergic to more than one type of seafood, so if you’re allergic to mackerel, you may want to test for other fish allergies as well.

Mackerel Allergy Test vs. Fish Allergy Test

If you aren’t sure exactly what kind of fish you may be allergic to, it may be a good idea to take the Fish Allergy Test instead. The Fish Allergy Test covers not only mackerel, but other common fish: halibut, salmon, trout, and tuna. Even if you only think you’re allergic to mackerel, it’s rare to be allergic to only one kind of fish, so the broader-spectrum Fish Allergy Test will cover more bases at once.