what is ige in blood test

An IgE blood test measures the levels of different IgE antibodies in a persons blood. IgE antibodies are proteins that the immune system makes to protect the body from bacteria, viruses, and allergens. The blood usually has small amounts of IgE antibodies, but it has higher amounts if the body overreacts to allergens. An allergen-specific IgE test can show what the body is reacting to. This test may be done to look for some kinds of allergies, including types of food, animal dander, pollen, mold, medicine, dust mites, latex, or insect venom. There are two general types of allergy blood tests: a total IgE test and a specific IgE test. A total IgE test measures the total amount of IgE antibodies in the blood, while a specific IgE test measures how much IgE the body makes in response to a single allergen. If a specific IgE test result is high, it means that a person may be allergic to the allergen that was tested. However, the amount of IgE measured doesnt predict how serious the allergy may be. If the results from either type of test show that a person could have an allergy, their healthcare provider may refer them to an allergy specialist or recommend a treatment plan.