Food Allergy Test

food allergy test

Food allergy is an immune system reaction that happens directly after eating an allergen. The immune system reaction is variable between persons, from mild to severe and may be life-threatening known as anaphylaxis reaction. Food allergy is different with food intolerance while food intolerance is likely unserious condition that does not involve the immune system. To confirm the diagnosis of food allergy, you have to take food allergy test.

Food allergy symptoms

The symptoms of food allergy may be mild and severe. The symptoms can happen even the first time ingestion of food and develop between minutes to hours. The most common mild symptoms are:

• Itchy mouth
• Skin eczema
• Tissue swelling in many body parts: mouth, face, throat, tongue, etc.
• Difficulty in breathing, wheezing, nasal congestion
• Nausea, vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Syncope, dizziness, headache.

Severe symptoms that can be life threatening is called anaphylaxis reaction. Please pay attention to these:

• Tightening of airways, very difficult to breathe caused by a swollen throat
• Shock, known by severe hypotension.
• Tachycardia, or rapid pulse
• Symptoms of brain ischemia, can be dizziness until loss of consciousness.

Food allergy test

There is no standard rule of food allergy test. According to Mayo Clinic, there are some diagnostic options that doctors may do to determine if you're allergic to a food or if your symptoms are caused by another.

• Specific description of the symptoms. Tell your doctor specifically about what food that seem to cause allergy, how much you ate, and if you or your family have history to food allergy or another allergies.
• Physical examination.
• Food diary. Your doctor may ask you to make a food diary about your eating habit and symptoms related to it.
• Blood test. It does not work for every possible allergen. The test used to detect IgE antibodies in certain allergen, called RAST, or Radio AllergoSorben Test. The score from RAST will be compared to known predictive value. If the score is higher, it is more likely that the allergy is present in that person. RAST can test many allergens simultaneously.
• Skin prick test. It can determine your reaction to a specific food. If you have allergy to a particular food being tested, you will have a raised reaction or bump. Remember that a positive reaction to this test alone is not enough to confirm the diagnosis of food allergy.
• Food challenge test. This test must be done in the hospital. The suspected allergen will be given to the person to be directly ingested. Doctor will look for signs and symptoms of food allergy. \

Food allergy treatment

In case of food allergy, the best way is avoiding the particular food. But you may still experience some symptoms, here are the food allergy remedies:

• Mild reaction: you can buy OTC drugs (antihistamines) to reduce symptoms. Take this drugs after exposure to relieve itching and nausea-vomiting. However, antihistamines alone can not treat severe reaction of food allergy.
• Severe reaction: all you have to do is going to the emergency room. Doctor will give you an emergency epinephrine injected under your skin. The next time you may visit the doctor to consult about the food allergy and he may give you an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen, TwinJect). You have to bring it all the time.