Allergy diagnostics
Overview of laboratory services
Allergies are immune-mediated hypersensitivity reactions to foreign substances from the environment that are usually harmless. Around 30 million Germans suffer from allergies, such as hay fever, asthma, neurodermatitis, or food allergies. Chronic allergic disorders may significantly diminish quality of life. The steadily increasing number of people with allergies is probably an indication of decreasing immune tolerance and is often associated with lifestyle in industrialised countries. A diagnosis of the triggering allergens can provide useful help for effective therapy. Allergic reactions can manifest in different ways. The laboratory diagnostic spectrum includes the further investigation of type I, III and IV allergies and pseudoallergic reactions.
