Food Allergy Testing & Treatment

A food allergy is a severe condition and should never be self diagnosed. Simply avoiding the food you suspect may be causing a reaction could lead to more serious issues such as malnutrition. That's why if you suspect that you may have a food allergy, the first step is to seek the advice of a qualified professional.

Testing

There are several key symptoms that are associated with a food allergy. It's important for you to keep a log of any of them you or your child may be experiencing, as well as the foods that were being eaten when the symptoms occurred. Here are just a few of the most common:

• Red skin
• Hives
• Itchiness
• Swollen lips or eyelids
• Tight throat
• Wheezing or trouble breathing
• Coughing
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

No single test is enough to accurately determine if you have a food allergy, so your doctor will likely use several methods before making a diagnosis:

• Family medical history analysis to see if there is a pattern of food allergies.
• Medical exam to rule out other factors that may be causing your symptoms.
• Eliminating certain foods from your diet to see if the symptoms subside.
• Skin prick test, where a small amount of the food in question is injected beneath the skin to see if there's a reaction.
• A blood test that looks for allergy-type antibodies called
  Immunoglobulin E.
• A "food challenge" where you'll eat a small amount of the suspected food in a location where your symptoms can be monitored.

Treatment

The most obvious treatment for food allergies is to avoid any food that has been proven to cause an allergic reaction. No matter how careful you are though, accidents could occur which may require an over-the-counter remedy, or in extreme cases, a visit to the emergency room.