Cashew Allergy Test

This test measures a person's allergic reaction to cashew nuts.  Cashew allergies have a tendency to be severe and often cause more serious reactions that other types of food allergies.  People who are allergic to cashews will need to be wary of other types of nuts as well.  Cashews and other types of nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios have similar proteins which means that it is common to be allergic to multiple types.  Different types of nuts are also processed in the same facilities so there is a high risk of cross-contamination.  This means that other types of nuts or products including nuts can trigger your allergies even if you are not allergic to that specific type of nut.

Allergy symptoms can develop anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after ingestion.  Common food allergy symptoms include rash, hives, itching, cough, wheezing, tightening of the throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and lightheadedness.  People with a severe allergy may experience anaphylaxis which can be fatal.   

Food allergies are caused by a reaction in the body's immune system.  The body identifies certain substances as harmful and produces IgE antibodies against them.  These antibodies trigger the release of histamine which causes the symptoms of an allergic reaction.  The severity of the allergy will vary from one person to the next.  Blood allergy testing provides numerical results for IgE antibody levels to help determine how severe a reaction a person will have.  Positive allergy test results should be discussed with a person's doctor to determine the appropriate follow up.

This test is typically ordered when someone experiences allergy symptoms shortly after eating cashews.  A Tree Nut and Peanut Allergy Panel which looks for a variety of nut allergies including cashews is also available.  For more options, please see our allergy testing category.

Turnaround for this test is typically 2-5 business days.