Detecting And Treating A Food Allergy
After a few uncomfortable meals, you realize that whenever you eat certain foods, you have a stomach ache and a mild headache. You may have developed a food allergy, which can happen at any time in your life. You may "grow out" out of this in a few years, but for now, it's an annoyance. An allergy specialist can test you for the specific foods to which you are allergic. You may discover ways to continue eating the foods you like. Here is how food allergies are diagnosed and treated.
Detecting a Food Allergy
There are two tests that can be done to determine to which class of foods you are allergic. These will help the allergist narrow down the problem foods.
Skin test - A small drop of liquid with an extract of the food to be tested is placed on your skin. The skin under the drop is then pricked with a needle. You could have a reaction right away if you're highly allergic to the food, but it may take a few minutes to get a clear result. A rash or small bump will develop where the skin was pricked if you are allergic to the food. With this test, you'll know to which class of foods you're allergic, such as dairy or nuts.
Blood test - Skin conditions, such as psoriasis, can prevent the skin test from being used. Your doctor will then do a blood test. A sample of your blood is examined for the presence of antibodies, which your body produced in response to a food to which you are allergic. Again, this will tell you to which group of foods you have a reaction.
To discover which specific foods cause a reaction, your doctor will have you do a challenge test.
The Challenge Test
This test will show to which specific foods you are allergic. For example, the skin and blood tests may show that you are allergic to dairy products, but that is a large category. The allergy is likely produced by a certain animal protein in the food. You may actually be allergic to cow's milk, but have no reaction to goat milk. The challenge test will give you this information so you can change your diet accordingly.
Your doctor will establish a schedule in which you will eat increasingly larger portions of the food every day until you have a reaction. This may take several days to test a variety of foods and find the level at which you begin to have symptoms. This test will help you discover:
- which specific foods you have a reaction to
- how much of the food you must eat before you have a reaction
You may discover that you have a mild allergy to certain foods, but you can eat small quantities of it without having any symptoms.
Food Allergy Treatments
There is no cure for a food allergy. It may go away on its own in the months or years ahead. In the meantime, there are a few ways to avoid the discomfort of the food allergy, such as:
- using a prescription medicine before eating to reduce your body's reaction to the food
- limiting the amount of the food you eat to below the level where you experienced symptoms
- using a substitute food for the one to which you are allergic, such as almond butter for your peanut butter allergy
Contact an allergy specialist like Diane L. Ozog, MD, SC to learn more.
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