Chili Pepper Allergy Blood Test

This test measures a person's allergic reaction to chili peppers.  Chilis belongs to a family of flowering plants commonly called nightshades.  Someone allergic to chili peppers is highly likely to be allergic to other plants from the same family, including eggplants, tomatoes, paprika, bell peppers, cayenne peppers, tobacco, and potatoes.

Allergy symptoms can develop anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after ingestion.  Common symptoms include tingling in the mouth, hives, itching, rash, lips, tongue, or throat swelling, difficulty breathing, flushed skin, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.  A severe allergic reaction can sometimes cause anaphylaxis which may be life-threatening. 

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.

A Chili Pepper Allergy blood testing is typically ordered when a person experiences symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating chilis.  For more testing options, please see our Allergy Testing Category. 

Results for this test typically take 3-5 business days.