Ban the bad with food allergy testing

Food allergy is caused when the body recognises certain protein present in food as dangerous and mounts an immune response. This immune response is evidenced as gastrointestinal problems, dermatitis as well as respiratory effects. Those suffering from food allergies should identify the sources of food allergy using the various food allergy testing methods and get help as severe cases of food allergy could be fatal, though it is generally mild.

Food allergy may be inherited and is passed on from one generation to another. Many people think they have food allergy, though few people actually suffer from it. Most individuals are confused between food allergy, food intolerance and food poisoning. Each of these is distinct and should not be treated as the same condition. Food allergy testing will help an individual ascertain if they suffer from any form of food allergy, eliminating any doubt in this regard.

The first time an individual consumes a particular food, he/she will not exhibit symptoms of allergy. However immune cells that are specific to the particular protein present in the food will be generated and on subsequent exposure to the same food, an immune response will result in the symptoms of food allergy.

Food allergy testing can be carried out by testing the blood of the patient and checking for signs of allergy. Most doctors feel that food allergy testing should not be restricted to blood test alone and the patient or the parent of the patient should explain to the doctor in detail about every food that was consumed from about a few hours before the onset of the symptoms.

Many people believe that they are allergic to certain types of food when they are actually not. When a particular type of food is suspected to be the reason for food allergy, then the patient should be tested to ascertain if an allergic reaction is mounted against the particular food. The food allergy testing using blood will also help if more than one particular type of food is suspected to be the reason for allergy. The test will help in eliminating food types that do not cause allergy in an individual.

Food allergy testing for children should include taking the history of the patient and finding out if his /her parents had similar allergies. Since most food allergies are inherited, these are important considerations when treating a child with food allergy.

Skin tests are the most common form of food allergy testing for children as well as for adults. Small amounts of the allergy causing protein are injected into the skin of the patient in the arm or in the back. If the patient is allergic to that particular protein, then a raised mound of skin can be seen. This bump of skin is called a wheal. The size of the wheal is a reflection of the amount of sensitivity of the individual to the allergen. Skin tests are not the most popular forms of food allergy testing for children as they involve skin scratching, skin prick or even intradermal injections. As children are afraid of needles, food allergy testing for children using such methods can be very difficult. In certain extreme cases of allergy to a particular allergen, skin tests could result in anaphylactic shock resulting in death.

Elimination diet is another method of food allergy testing and this type of food allergy testing can be done at home. Certain foods are avoided at the first instance and watched for 3 to 7 days. If the symptoms of allergy do not subside, then certain other foods are eliminated from the diet. This process continues till the symptoms of the allergy stops. Sometime an alteration of this method of food allergy testing involves staying on a basic diet and slowly adding each food type. When symptoms of the allergy reappear, the food type that led to the allergic reaction can be determined. The limitation of this method of food allergy testing is that many allergens that cause food allergy in individuals might be present as ingredients in a processed food and so it will be difficult to identify the exact food type that causes the allergy.

The food allergy testing using blood samples involves an ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay), which is used to determine the presence of IgG (Immunoglobulin G). IgG is secreted in large amounts in people with food allergy and this immunoglobulin has been implicated for causing the symptoms of food allergy.

ELISA consists of a 96 well plate. Various food proteins are added to each well. The patient serum is then added to this. The interaction of the antibody in the patient's serum with the antigen in the well will help provide answers to the type of food that an individual is allergic to. The IgG food allergy testing has provided physicians with an easy method of identifying the allergen. Earlier practices involved controlling one's diet or skin tests. Food allergy testing that involved controlled diets that eliminated certain food types required a large amount of patient cooperation and endurance to finally find the food allergen that caused the food allergy in the individual. The patient who wishes to undergo IgG food allergy testing needs to provide only a sample of his blood and the mount charged per test is usually between $100-400.

The numerous food allergy testing methods available can be utilized to identify the exact cause of food allergy and the best possible was of preventing food allergy is to completely avoid that particular food type.

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