A patient seated in the chair before a blood draw
In person

Common Ragweed (Short) Allergy (IgE)

IgE antibodies to short ragweed pollen, from one draw.

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  • 2,000+ lab locations. Find one near you
  • Nothing due at the lab. FSA / HSA accepted
  • Ordered by a licensed clinician

At a glance

Collection
Blood draw
A standard blood draw at the lab.
Preparation
None
Nothing to do ahead of time. Water is fine.
Results
3 to 5 days
Typical turnaround after your visit.
Where
2,000+ lab locations
Nationwide, with nothing due at the lab.

About this test

This blood test checks for IgE sensitization to short ragweed pollen, a late summer to fall weed pollen. People often check it when hay fever runs into late summer and fall. A positive result shows sensitization, which is not the same as an allergy. No fasting is needed.

For adults 18 and older. Test availability varies by lab location.

Who should take this test?

Adults often use it when hay fever tracks with the late summer to fall season, or before an allergist visit, to see whether they are sensitized to short ragweed pollen.

Ask about this test

Not sure this is the right test?

AI-generated. For information only, not medical advice. Call 911 for an emergency.

What does this test measure?

Your short ragweed result can help you and a healthcare provider understand whether sensitization to this weed pollen may be part of your seasonal symptoms.

Short ragweed pollen-specific IgE (w1)
This marker measures IgE antibodies to short ragweed pollen, a late summer to fall weed pollen. A level above the lab’s reference range shows the immune system is sensitized to it. Many sensitized people have no symptoms, so the result is read with your history.
Why it’s measured: Helps a healthcare provider see whether short ragweed pollen may play a part in seasonal symptoms.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Order online

    Check out here. A licensed clinician in your state reviews your order and sends it to the lab.

  2. Step 2

    Visit a lab

    Bring a photo ID to any of 2,000+ lab locations. No fasting needed, and nothing is due at the lab.

  3. Step 3

    Get your results

    Results post to your account, usually in 3 to 5 days, each number next to the lab’s reference range.

Find a lab near you

Choose from 2,000+ lab locations nationwide. Your order works at any of them.

What your results tell you

Results come back as an IgE level in kU/L, compared with the lab’s reference range. Above the range shows sensitization, not necessarily allergy.

  • Your number next to the lab’s reference range
  • Explained in plain language
  • A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test.
  • A lab report you can download and share

Decisions about care for seasonal symptoms belong with an allergist or other healthcare provider who reads this with your history.

Clinical-grade testing, from the comfort of home.

From the lab to your report, every step of our process meets the gold standard in medical testing.

  • CLIA-certified labs

    Every lab we partner with is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, meeting both state and federal standards with regular independent inspections.

  • We protect your health data

    We protect your health data with encryption and do not sell it. Some results must be reported to public health authorities by law. See our Privacy Notice.

  • Rigorous quality assurance

    All partner labs run regular internal quality checks, participate in proficiency testing, and comply with federal and state lab regulations.

  • Clinician-reviewed reports

    Results are reviewed by an independent, licensed clinician.

Questions

Common questions.

Anything else, our care team answers by phone, text, or email.

It does not tell you whether you will react to short ragweed pollen, or how strongly. IgE shows sensitization, and many sensitized people have no symptoms. A negative result does not clear an allergy either.

Decisions about pollen exposure or care belong with an allergist or other healthcare provider who knows your history.

Short ragweed pollen is a late summer to fall weed pollen. Pollen seasons can shift with weather and location, so timing varies from year to year.

When your symptoms happen is one clue an allergist or other healthcare provider uses alongside a result like this. A positive result shows sensitization, not that this pollen is the cause of your symptoms.

It can. Some foods, including melon, watermelon, banana, and cucumber, are in the ragweed-⁠pollen cross-⁠reaction group. People sensitized to ragweed pollen can also show IgE to these foods.

An allergist reads pollen and food results together with your history. A food result alone does not tell you whether you will react to that food.

Yes. Short ragweed pollen is one of the allergens in the mid-⁠Atlantic regional panel, the Rocky Mountain states panel, the southern Plains panel, and the Southern regional panel. Each panel measures IgE to a set of allergens the lab groups together, in one draw.

Each result in a panel is read the same way: sensitization is not the same as allergy, and an allergist reads it with your history.

Lab tests are informational and don’t diagnose conditions on their own. Available to adults 18 and older; test availability varies by lab location. A licensed clinician reviews your order and, if appropriate, orders the test. All testing is performed at CLIA-certified laboratories. Not for emergencies: if you think you may be having a medical emergency, call 911.