Testing For Food Allergies Reasons, Diagnosis and Treatment

Food allergies are becoming more common nowadays. Irrespective of the age of a person, their body can show allergic reactions to certain substances. Food allergy tests are aimed at identifying whether the body has an allergic reaction to a known substance and what food allergy treatment to undergo.

When Does Allergy Occur?

Food allergy occur when the immune system of the body fails to negate the effect of an allergen. This means that the immune system reacts to the allergen creating body functions that cause discomfort. The overreaction from an allergen includes sneezing, runny nose, blocked sinuses, vomiting and diarrhea, rash, coughing or wheezing, itching, swelling of lip, face, or tongue, fainting as well as organ failures.

The person testing for allergies is known as an allergist and helps identify the substance you are allergic to.

What Causes Food Allergy?

A food allergy happens when the immune system of a human body identifies food as a harmful substance and overreacts to it. As the defense mechanism, the immune system creates an alarm signaling the cells to release an antibody known as immunoglobulin E (IgE). Immunoglobulin E (IgE) then neutralizes the allergy-causing food or food substance.

After that, whenever you consume a particular food, IgE antibodies sense the intake and send a signal to the immune system to release a chemical called histamine along with other chemicals into the bloodstream. The release of these chemicals results in allergy symptoms.

Some Of The Major Allergy-Causing Food Items Include:

Shellfish including shrimp, lobsters, and crabs.

• Walnuts and peanuts
• Chicken eggs
• Wheat
• Soy
• Fish
• Cow Milk

How Food Allergy Is Diagnosed?

If you show food allergy symptoms, the general physician would refer you to a specialist who would then run a few tests to check you for food allergy. The tests that the allergy specialist would recommend include:

• A Skin-Prick Test
• Blood Tests
• Special Diet

In the skin-prick test, the specialist puts a drop of liquid with the food you are allergic to on your skin and watches the reaction. In blood tests, blood is drawn from the body and then tested for food allergy using chemicals. The special diet restricts the type of food you consume, especially the ones that you are allergic to.

What are The Different Food Allergy Treatments?

Food allergy treatment includes restricting eating food that you are allergic to. This means you cannot consume any food that has any of the ingredients that you are allergic to. For example, if you are allergic to walnuts, you cannot consume walnut cake, walnut ice cream, or any other dish where walnut is used in the making.

The specialists also prescribe certain medications to help manage the symptoms and others in case of emergencies.

The medication prescribed for food allergy include antihistamine in case of mild allergies and adrenaline auto-injectors for emergencies such as severe allergic reactions.

An allergy management plan is put into place to help the patient understand the allergy and how to manage it well.

It is important to follow the allergy management plans and dos and don’ts as advised by the specialist.

The Role Of Food Allergy Testing

Food allergy can appear at any age, especially with the changing food and lifestyle habits. This also means that one can get a sudden reaction to food items that they have been consuming for years but can no more. Ensuring the right food allergy testing is the key to finding out about the allergies and getting the right food allergy treatment. The efficacy of food allergy testing is hence critical to efficiently manage food allergic reactions which could at times prove fatal.

People who experience any type of discomfort or any signs and symptoms of food allergy must see a food allergy specialist immediately. If a food allergy is identified, it is important to follow the specialist’s advice and food allergy management plan to fight the negative effects of the condition.

In the case of food allergy, precaution is the best medicine. The best food allergy treatment depends on credible food allergy testing and dedicated self-care.