Struggling With Unexplained Symptoms? Our New Allergy Testing Service at Murrays Chemist Might Finally Give You Answers

If you or a loved one have been dealing with persistent symptoms — rashes, stomach issues, coughing, sinus problems, itchy eyes, random flare-ups with no clear trigger — you will know how frustrating it can be. It often feels like you are chasing shadows. You change your diet. You switch detergents. You eliminate milk, then wheat, then nuts, then everything except water and hopes. Nothing shifts.

A lot of people end up being told their symptoms are “probably allergy-related” without ever being given a clear route to actually identify what is going on.

This is where our new ALEX² 295-Allergen IgE Blood Test comes in.

Murrays Chemist is now offering one of the most advanced allergy blood tests available in the UK — and if you have been struggling with unclear symptoms, this might be the first real step towards understanding them properly.

Why Modern Allergy Symptoms Are So Hard to Pin Down

Allergy symptoms can masquerade as many things:

• Hay fever that never quite resolves

• A cough that lingers after every cold

• Skin rashes labelled as eczema but stubbornly unresponsive

• Digestive symptoms after certain meals, but never the same meal twice

• Chest tightness or wheezing without a clear trigger

• Reactions only when you combine certain foods

• Mild but persistent swelling or itching without an obvious cause

Sound familiar? You are not alone.

Modern life introduces us to a huge variety of allergens — food, pollen, moulds, animals, environmental particles, and even cross-reactive proteins that mimic each other. Basic testing often only covers a handful of these.

That is why a broader approach is sometimes the only way to get clarity.

Introducing the ALEX² Allergy Explorer at Murrays Chemist

This test analyses around 295 allergens at once, giving a detailed snapshot of how your immune system responds to:

• Foods

• Pollen

• Animals

• Dust mites

• Moulds

• Latex

• Insect venoms

• Cross-reactive allergen proteins

It is one of the most comprehensive allergy blood panels in the world.

The goal is simple: stop guessing and start understanding.

A Closer Look: What Does This Test Actually Pick Up?

To help you picture how powerful this test is, here are a few examples of allergens it investigates — these are common troublemakers people never suspect.

1. Birch Pollen — and Why It Makes People React to Fruit

Birch pollen contains a protein called Bet v 1.

Some individuals develop antibodies against Bet v 1, which is fine until they eat foods containing very similar proteins — like apples, peaches, pears, hazelnuts, or carrots.

This can cause:

• tingling around the mouth

• mild swelling

• itchy throat

• worsening “hay fever” in spring

This is a classic pollen-food cross-reactivity, and ALEX² breaks it down accurately.

2. Dust Mites — A Massive Trigger for Coughing, Asthma, and Skin Problems

Two dust mite species are tested:

• Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus

• Dermatophagoides farinae

People often live with dust mite allergy for years without realising. Typical clues include:

• waking up congested

• a chronic tickly cough

• wheezing in the morning

• eczema that flares at night

• constant “sinus infections” that aren’t infections at all

When the test identifies these specific IgE components, management becomes far more targeted.

3. Milk Allergy vs Milk Intolerance – Two Very Different Problems

ALEX² can detect multiple milk proteins separately — including casein and beta-lactoglobulin.

This matters because:

• lactose intolerance is not an allergy

• casein allergy tends to be more severe and persistent

• some people react only to certain proteins and can still tolerate baked dairy

Understanding which component you react to helps prevent unnecessary restriction — especially useful for children.

4. Peanut Components — Why Some Reactions Are Severe and Others Mild

Peanut testing is no longer about “positive” or “negative”.

ALEX² examines different peanut proteins, such as:

• Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3 — associated with higher-risk, systemic reactions

• Ara h 8 — associated with birch-pollen cross reactivity (often milder)

This depth of insight helps you understand whether a reaction is likely to be mild or potentially serious, and guides proper risk management.

5. Moulds — The Most Overlooked Allergy Trigger

Indoor and outdoor mould allergens like Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Aspergillus can be powerful triggers for:

• asthma

• chronic congestion

• persistent cough

• headaches

• recurrent “sinus infections”

Very few tests screen them properly. ALEX² does.

Who Is This Test Actually For?

We see three types of patients benefit most:

1. People with long-standing, unexplained symptoms

The ones who have been back and forth between GPs, dermatology, ENT and still have no answers.

2. Parents trying to understand their child’s symptoms

Especially when symptoms jump around or mimic multiple conditions.

3. Patients with suspected multiple allergies

When reactions feel unpredictable or unrelated.

If you recognise yourself in any of these, this test can finally give clarity.

What Happens After the Test?

You will receive:

• a detailed lab report

• a clear interpretation from our clinical pharmacist

• guidance on what the results mean

• signposting for management, avoidance and next steps

Many patients tell us the explanation is just as valuable as the results.

Final Thoughts: If You Are Searching for Answers, Start Here

Allergy symptoms can be disruptive, confusing and, at times, frightening. The difficulty is that most people never receive a complete investigation — just fragments of information from various tests that fail to connect the dots.

Our new ALEX² Allergy Explorer finally gives you a complete picture, helping you understand what you are reacting to and why.

If you are struggling, or you are trying to help someone in your family make sense of their symptoms, this test provides a clear starting point.