Hi Readers! I am Dr. Leslie, a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Integrative Medicine expert, and founder of Sharpe Concierge. Through my concierge physician services, food planning, food sensitivity testing, weight management, and supplementation program, I help busy professionals take control of their health to lead more vibrant lives.
When you discover that you have a food allergy, the next step, if you’re not sure what the culprit is, is to have testing done. I recommend seeing an allergist because they can give you a thorough evaluation. The testing done in the allergist’s office may include either blood or skin testing. You may also receive counseling on food allergy management and treatment at that time.
In my practice, one of the things I offer is an elimination diet. This test is to find out not what your acute food allergies are but what your subclinical allergies are that may affect your overall health. The elimination diet aims to discover what foods may cause your symptoms, such as gas, bloating, fatigue, GI upset, or many other symptoms. It involves a restricted diet to cleanse your system, followed by a gradual reintroduction of foods. An elimination diet will never reintroduce any foods that have caused you severe reactions in the past. Once you have been diagnosed with a food allergy, it is recommended that you never try that food again unless you are under the care of an allergist with a supervised visit. The risk of anaphylaxis is much too significant.
1. Skin tests
It involves pricking the skin with a needle inoculated with the potential allergen. If an allergy is present, it will produce a wheal or hive and most likely be itchy.
2. Blood tests
This is not considered as sensitive as a prick test but measures antibodies to the specific food. Whereas skin testing gives immediate results, blood testing typically produces results in one to two weeks.
3. Oral food challenge
The gold standard for food allergy diagnosis is an oral food challenge. This test is not routinely performed, but under the supervision of an allergist, the patient is given gradually increasing amounts of suspected allergy-causing food. The patient is monitored for any reactions.
Often, when a person has been diagnosed with a food allergy, it may include other foods in that same class. This is not always the case. However, I strongly urge you not to try to figure this out alone.
For more information about food allergies, check out this video.
Thank you for reading this blog. As always…I am Dr. Leslie, a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician, Functional Medicine expert, and founder of Sharpe Concierge. Through my concierge physician services, food planning, food sensitivity testing, weight management, and supplementation program, I help busy professionals take control of their health to lead more vibrant lives. If you are ready to take control of your health, let’s work together! Use the link below to schedule a consultation.
