Good food satisfies our cravings and daily nutritional requirement;
whereas being allergic to a particular food can take a toll on our overall
health and wellness.
What is Food Allergy?
A food allergy is a condition where your immune system becomes
vulnerable to a harmless type of food.
What is it used for?
Food allergy testing including a
home food allergy test is carried out to find if you or your child has an
allergy to a particular food.
It may also be used to check whether you have a true allergy or,
instead, a sensitivity that can be assessed via a home food allergy test.
What
happens during food allergy testing?
The testing is done in the presence of your allergist undertaking a
physical examination and asking every important detail about your symptoms.
After that, the physician will perform one or more of the food intolerance tests or food allergy tests as follows:
●
Oral challenge test. During this test, your allergist
will give you a small portion of the food suspected of an allergy trigger. The
food may be given in the form of a capsule or through injection. You'll remain
under observation to see if there is an allergic reaction. Then, your allergist
will provide immediate treatment if there is a reaction.
●
Elimination diet. This is carried out to find which
specific food or foods give rise to the allergy. You'll begin by eliminating
the suspected foods from your regular diet. Then add the foods back to the diet
one at a time, keeping tabs on an allergic reaction.
●
Skin prick test. During the skin prick test, the
allergist will place a small amount of the suspected food on the skin of your
forearm or back. The allergist will then prick the skin with a needle to allow
a tiny amount of the food to get under the skin. If you get a red, itchy bump
at the injection, it implies you are allergic to the food.
● Blood test. This test checks for substances termed IgE antibodies in the blood.
Basically, IgE antibodies are made in the immunity system when you are brought
open to an allergy-causing substance. During a blood test, a health care
professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm with the help of
a small needle. Once the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be
collected in a vial or test tube. You may feel the sting when the needle goes
in or comes out. This entire process won’t take more than five minutes.
Do I
need to do anything specific to prepare for the test?
You don't need to prepare beforehand for a food allergy test.
What do
the results denote?
If the results show that you or your child suffer from a particular
food allergy, the viable treatment is to avoid consuming the food.
There is no remedy for food allergies, but eliminating the food from
your regular diet can keep allergic reactions at bay.
Final Thoughts
Distancing yourself from allergy-causing foods can include carefully
reading labels on packaged goods. It also implies you need to explain the
allergy to anyone who prepares food for you or your child. This includes people
like chefs, home helpers, waiters, babysitters, teachers, and restaurant workers.
But even if you stay careful, you or your child may be exposed to the food by
mistake.
In case you or your child is at risk for a severe allergic reaction,
your allergist will take the necessary step to protect you against the allergy.
You'll be self-taught how to inject the device into your or your child's thigh.
Allergic reactions can trigger awful inconveniences! If you want to
learn how to keep safe, know about at-home food allergy tests or manage allergic complications, get in touch with
your allergist.
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