Ulta Lab Tests

Hay Fever Allergy Test

Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) is an IgE-mediated reaction to airborne pollens from trees, grasses, and weeds. Symptoms often surge by season—spring (trees), late spring–summer (grasses), late summer–fall (weeds, e.g., ragweed)—and may persist year-round when indoor allergens (dust mites, molds, cockroach) are present. A proactive plan starts with allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) blood testing to likely regional pollens and key indoor triggers. When the pattern is broad or unclear, component-resolved diagnostics (CRD) (e.g., Bet v 1 for birch, Phl p 1/5 for grasses, Amb a 1 for ragweed) help separate true sensitization from cross-reactivity (profilins/polcalcins).

sIgE is a standard blood draw and—unlike skin testing—is not blocked by antihistamines. Use results with your clinician to align findings with season, location, and indoor environment. Lab results do not replace a full allergy evaluation.

Signs, Symptoms & Related Situations

  • Nose/eyes: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy/watery eyes, post-nasal drip

  • Chest: cough, wheeze, chest tightness (often worse outdoors on high-pollen days)

  • Timing clues: spring (trees), late spring–summer (grasses), late summer–fall (weeds); year-round in damp or carpeted homes (mites/molds)

  • Settings: outdoor work/yard care, windows open in peak season, bedrooms with carpeting/bedding, basements/bathrooms with moisture

  • Urgent care: trouble breathing, severe wheeze, or facial swelling—seek immediate help
    All symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified clinician.

Why These Tests Matter

What testing can do

  • Confirm sensitization to targeted seasonal pollens (trees, grasses, weeds) and important indoor contributors

  • Clarify cross-reactivity with components (e.g., Bet v 1, Phl p 1/5, Amb a 1; profilin/polcalcin)

  • Guide planning for exposure reduction, medication timing, and clinical follow-up

What testing cannot do

  • Predict exact severity (sIgE level = likelihood, not intensity)

  • Replace clinician-directed skin testing or challenge in complex cases

  • Provide treatment or environmental advice on its own—use alongside clinical guidance

What These Tests Measure (at a glance)

  • Trees (regional set): birch (Bet v 1 component), oak, elm, maple/box elder, cedar/juniper, olive, and other regionals

  • Grasses: timothy (Phl p 1/5 components), Bermuda, Kentucky blue, Johnson

  • Weeds: ragweed (Amb a 1 component), mugwort, sagebrush, pigweed

  • Indoor contributors (often co-sensitizing): dust mites (Der p/Der f; Der p 1/Der f 1 and Der p 2/Der f 2 components), molds (Alternaria, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium), cockroach (Bla g 1/2)

  • Pan-allergens (CRD, optional): profilins and polcalcins explaining broad low-level positives across pollens

  • Total IgE (context only): nonspecific; interpret with specific IgE

Antihistamines do not affect blood sIgE; systemic steroids usually have minimal impact unless high-dose/long-term.

How the Testing Process Works

  1. Map exposures: note seasonality, region, and indoor conditions (damp areas, carpets, bedding).

  2. Order targeted sIgE: select trees, grasses, weeds for your region; add dust mite, molds, cockroach as needed. Include components when cross-reactivity is suspected.

  3. Collect: routine blood draw (no antihistamine hold needed for sIgE).

  4. Results: access securely within a few days.

  5. Next steps: review with your clinician to align results with symptom timing and environmental controls.

Interpreting Results (General Guidance)

  • Positive sIgE matching your season/exposure supports clinical hay fever.

  • Component positivity (Bet v 1, Phl p 1/5, Amb a 1; Der p/f 1–2; Bla g 1/2) favors true sensitization; isolated profilin/polcalcin suggests cross-reactivity and typically milder, broader patterns.

  • Low/borderline sIgE can still be relevant when symptoms are strong on high-pollen days; clinicians may add components or skin testing.

  • Negative sIgE with convincing symptoms may prompt evaluation for non-IgE triggers or other allergens (animal dander, mites, molds).

Choosing Panels vs. Individual Tests (with test numbers)

Use the following test numbers when selecting items in your cart (availability may vary by region):

  • Comprehensive Respiratory/Environmental Allergy Profile (indoor outdoor), with reflex to components where applicable — Panel code provided at order selection

  • Tree pollens (single-allergen sIgE examples): Birch (Betula) — 2715; Oak — 2720; Elm — 2724; Maple/Box Elder — 2718; Mountain Cedar/Juniper — 2731; Olive — 2728

  • Grass pollens: Timothy — 2738; Bermuda — 2726; Kentucky Bluegrass — 2734; Johnson — 2736

  • Weed pollens: Short Ragweed — 2752; Mugwort — 2744; Pigweed — 2742; Sagebrush — 2746

  • Dust mites (indoor): D. pteronyssinus — 2613; D. farinae — 2614

  • Molds (indoor): Alternaria alternata — 2821; Cladosporium herbarum — 2819; Aspergillus fumigatus — 2820; Penicillium chrysogenum — 2818

  • Cockroach (German) — 2717

  • Pollen/CRD components (order as needed): Bet v 1 (birch major), Phl p 1/5 (timothy grass majors), Amb a 1 (ragweed major); profilin and polcalcin components (assay codes vary)

  • Total IgE — 542 (context only)

(If your region uses a consolidated “Respiratory Allergy Profile” panel, select the regional panel shown at ordering; individual item codes above can be added to tailor the panel.)

FAQs

Do I need to stop antihistamines before the blood test?
No. Antihistamines do not affect sIgE blood testing (they can affect skin tests).

Why add component testing?
Components help separate true sensitization from cross-reactivity, improving counseling and expectations.

Can I be allergic year-round without pets?
Yes. Dust mites, molds, and cockroach can drive perennial symptoms, especially in damp or carpeted homes.

Why are many pollens positive at low levels?
Pan-allergens (profilins/polcalcins) can cause broad low-level positivity; components clarify this.

Will levels fall if I improve my environment?
Symptoms often improve quickly; sIgE may take months or years to decline and can persist despite control.

Internal Links & Cross-References

References

  1. AAAAI/ACAAI. Practice parameters for allergy diagnosis, sIgE testing, and interpretation.

  2. EAACI. Molecular (component-resolved) allergy diagnostics—guidance and clinical use.

  3. ARIA. Allergic rhinitis assessment and management recommendations.

  4. GA²LEN. Indoor allergen exposure (mites, molds, cockroach) and mitigation statements.

Available Tests & Panels

Your hay fever allergy menu is pre-populated in the Ulta Lab Tests system. Use the test numbers above to select single pollens (trees, grasses, weeds) and key indoor allergens (mites, molds, cockroach). Add component testing (Bet v 1, Phl p 1/5, Amb a 1; profilin/polcalcin) when cross-reactivity is suspected. Schedule a local blood draw and review results with your clinician to align testing with symptoms, seasons, and exposure controls.

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The Wild Rye Grass g70 IgE Test measures IgE antibodies to allergens from wild rye grass pollen. Elevated levels may indicate an allergic reaction, which can cause hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, or asthma flare-ups during pollen season. This test helps identify wild rye grass pollen allergies and supports management through avoidance strategies or allergy treatments guided by healthcare providers.

Blood
Blood Draw
Also Known As: Wild Rye Grass IgE Test, Wild Rye Grass g70 Test
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The Willow t12 IgE Test measures IgE antibodies to allergens from willow tree pollen. Elevated levels may indicate an allergic reaction, which can cause hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, or asthma flare-ups during pollen exposure. This test helps identify willow pollen allergies and supports management through avoidance strategies or allergy treatments guided by healthcare providers.

Blood
Blood Draw
Also Known As: Willow IgE Test, Willow t12 Test
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The Sweet Gum t211 IgE Test measures IgE antibodies to allergens from sweet gum tree pollen. Elevated levels may indicate an allergic reaction, which can cause hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, or asthma flare-ups during pollen exposure. This test helps identify sweet gum pollen allergies and supports management through avoidance strategies or allergy treatments guided by healthcare providers.

Blood
Blood Draw
Also Known As: Sweet Gum IgE Test, Sweet Gum t211 Test
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The Indoor Respiratory Allergy Panel measures IgE antibodies to common indoor allergens, including molds (Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium), dust mites (Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus), Blomia tropicalis, house dust, cockroach, cat and dog dander, and goose feathers. Elevated levels may indicate indoor allergies that can cause sneezing, congestion, itchy eyes, or asthma. This panel helps identify allergy triggers.

Blood
Blood Draw
Panel Contains Test: Indoor Allergy Test
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What are Hay Fever Allergies?

Did you know that hay fever affects 5.2 million children and 19.2 million adults in the United States? Hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, can leave the patient feeling fatigued and sick the majority of the time.

Those with hay fever need to catch the diagnosis quickly if they want to get treatment as soon as possible. Without a formal diagnosis, many patients are left without any help.

The best way to get a definitive diagnosis is through a hay fever allergy test. By looking at specific biomarkers, your healthcare provider can figure out whether or not you have hay fever.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Are Hay Fever Allergies?

Hay fever allergies cause cold-like signs and symptoms. However, a virus doesn't cause this condition like it causes a cold. Rather, hay fever is a bodily response to outdoor and indoor allergens. 

Hay fever can make people miserable as they battle cold-like symptoms more common than the average person. Some people with hay fever may experience cold-like signs and symptoms the majority of the time.

Over time, hay fever can affect one's performance at work and school. It may also create problems with those around them, especially if they work in a healthcare setting.

It's hard to explain why you're sneezing and sniffling while people are avoiding you so that they don't get sick. They don't understand that it's not contagious.

Risk Factors for Hay Fever Allergies

There are a few common risk factors for hay fever:

  • Allergies
  • Being around allergens consistently
  • Asthma
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Family history of allergies
  • Family history of asthma
  • Having a mother who smoked during the first year of your life

If you have any of these risk factors, you should talk to your doctor about what you can do to minimize your risk of developing hay fever. 

Causes of Hay Fever Allergies

Those with hay fever have overactive immune systems. Their immune cells detect a harmless substance as harmful. Therefore, your body sets off an immune response.

Specifically, your body is releasing histamine into your bloodstream, which causes all of the signs and symptoms that someone with hay fever may experience.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Hay Fever Allergies?

The signs and symptoms of hay fever are consistent with those of a cold. A patient with hay fever may experience congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, postnasal drip, and fatigue.

If you're experiencing these signs and symptoms regularly, it's likely that you may have hay fever. You should talk to your doctor about how you can find relief from this condition.

How Are Hay Fever Allergies Diagnosed?

A hay fever diagnosis can come from a skin prick test or an allergy blood test. 

Skin prick testing involves putting an allergen on the skin and looking at how the body reacts. An allergy blood test allows a healthcare provider to test your allergies without testing them on your skin. Rather, they'll just test your blood for an immune response.

The Lab Tests to Screen, Diagnose, and Monitor Hay Fever Allergies

There is a wide variety of allergy lab tests available to help you identify the specific allergens that are causing your hay fever. Most of them look at how your body reacts to the different allergens.

At Ulta Lab Tests, our hay fever allergy tests include the individual tests noted below and regional allergy panels:

With allergy testing, you can identify the allergens and take the necessary steps to get relief from your symptoms.

Get Your Hay Fever Allergy Test With Ulta Lab Tests

If you think that you may have hay fever, you need to get testing as soon as possible. The sooner you get diagnosed, the sooner your healthcare provider can develop a plan for your treatment.

Luckily, Ulta Lab Tests offers highly accurate and reliable tests so you can make informed decisions about your health. Here are a few great things to love about Ulta Lab Tests:

  • You'll get secure and confidential results
  • You don't need health insurance
  • You don't need a physician's referral
  • You'll get affordable pricing
  • We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee

Order your hay fever allergy test today, and your results will be provided to you securely and confidentially online in 24 to 48 hours for most tests.

Take control with Ulta Lab Tests today!