Diagnosing Food Allergies

Doctors have a lot of ways to diagnose ailments. This is why they become a very reliable source of information when it comes to the possibilities of diseases that can affect your body. One of the things that are very difficult to diagnose is food allergies.

Fortunately, there are certain series of tests that can determine the patient’s specific food allergy. Here are some of those various ways by which a doctor can diagnose the specific type of food allergy that the patient has.

Medical History

The initial interview with the patient will determine the medical history. This will allow the doctor to see if there are any possible types of food that cause the patient to have allergies. In this type of interview, it is important for the patient to be honest about what he eats. What he ingests can give a clue as to the direct cause of physical ailment in the body.

The Scratch Test

This can be done through the application of various allergens through the skin of the patient. Usually, if there are allergies present in the body, it would manifest through the appearance of hives and swelling in the affected area of the body.

Blood Tests

This is the most common tool that a doctor can use to determine which type of allergens affect your body the most. it is also called the radioallergosorbent test or RAST. By undergoing this type of pest, you can be sure as to what types of allergens can give you allergic reactions.

The Elimination Diet

This is the most tedious kind of pest that you can undergo because you would have to wait for any type of allergies to manifest after you ingest the types of food that you usually eat. If in case the food does not affect your body adversely, it will be retained in your diet until the specific type of food is found.

Oral Food Challenge

This could be quite dangerous for the patient so it is usually done under the supervision of the medical professional who is handling the case. This involves having you ingest different types of food allergens that can cause you to have the attacks. You are then observed within a specific number of hours for the determination process.

These are just some of the many ways by which the medical practitioner can help you by determining what could be the specific cause of your allergies. If you are able to discover what these are, you can do everything in your power to avoid them.

In addition to this, having allergies is not something to be afraid of. You just have to be disciplined enough to avoid anything that can cause you to have allergy attacks. You should arm yourself with the necessary knowledge to help you fight off the effects of allergies on your body.

What you put inside your body will affect you both positively and negatively. This is why you have to be careful about what you eat so that you would not end up with allergies that are difficult to handle.