The term food allergies has recently taken on a meaning that is synonymous with food sensitivities and food intolerances. In this article the words "food allergies" are used to mean any adverse reaction to food, whether it involves the immune system or not.
Food allergies can affect you in many ways other than anaphalaxis, affecting the skin, the skeleton, the digestive system, the heart and blood vessels, the airways, the muscles, the kidneys and bladder, and the nerves and brain.
The Skin: read and itchy eyes, eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin, hives, rash
The Skeleton: aching joints, rheumatoid arthritis
The Digestive System: mouth ulcers, canker sores, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Chron's disease, infant colitis, colic, itchy anus
The Heart and Blood Vessels: migraine headaches, irregular heart bear, inflammation of veins, high cholesterol, bruising, high blood pressure
The Airways: runny or congested nose, nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis, asthma, ear infections
The Muscles: aching muscles, fibromyalgia
The Kidneys and Bladder: kidney stones, nephritic syndrome, frequent urination, bed wetting, urinary tract infections
The Nerves and Brain: headache, fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory loss, ADD, ADHD, hyperactivity, epileptic seizures, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
Skin Prick Tests: The standard test for food allergies used to be (and often still is) the skin prick test. In this test, suspected allergens are placed on the skin and a prick or scratch is made under the drop. A reaction to the skin is then looked for. Skin prick tests can work for some types of allergens, particularly inhalants, but when the allergen is in a food they do not produce a positive result except when the reaction is immediate and violent.
Medical Blood Tests: Some blood tests have accurately diagnosed food allergies but the blood tests can be expensive and often are not covered by insurance. If you want a medical food allergy blood test, look for a physician who has a lot of experience in this area in order to get a good blood testing lab and accurate results interpretation.
Elimination Diet: Finding your food allergies by doing an elimination diet is the most time consuming method but it is also the most economical. In an elimination diet you avoid all (or most) of the foods that you normally eat. If after three weeks your health improves then you know that you are allergic to (intolerant to) something that you eliminated. Reintroduce one of the foods for three days. If you do not react after three days, add another food on the fourth day. If, however, you did react to the food, eliminate it from your diet again until all symptoms subside (5 to 10 days). Keep repeating this process until you have tested all of your foods.
Muscle Testing (Applied Kinesiology): Another test for food allergies is muscle testing (also knows as Applied Kinesiology). In this method you hold a vile containing a suspected food allergen and the practitioner tests your muscle strength (usually your arm). If holding the vile makes you weaker then you are intolerant to it and need to stop eating it. If the vile makes you stronger then you are not allergic to that food. This food allergy testing method has not been extensively scientifically tested but if you manage to suspend your disbelief you will be pleased with the results! Fortunately the cost of being tested for 100 to 120 food items is reasonable, usually $90 to $120.
Food allergies can affect you in many ways other than anaphalaxis, affecting the skin, the skeleton, the digestive system, the heart and blood vessels, the airways, the muscles, the kidneys and bladder, and the nerves and brain.
Examples of Food Allergy Reactions
The Skin: read and itchy eyes, eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin, hives, rash
The Skeleton: aching joints, rheumatoid arthritis
The Digestive System: mouth ulcers, canker sores, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, Chron's disease, infant colitis, colic, itchy anus
The Heart and Blood Vessels: migraine headaches, irregular heart bear, inflammation of veins, high cholesterol, bruising, high blood pressure
The Airways: runny or congested nose, nasal polyps, chronic sinusitis, asthma, ear infections
The Muscles: aching muscles, fibromyalgia
The Kidneys and Bladder: kidney stones, nephritic syndrome, frequent urination, bed wetting, urinary tract infections
The Nerves and Brain: headache, fatigue, depression, anxiety, memory loss, ADD, ADHD, hyperactivity, epileptic seizures, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
Diagnosing Food Allergies
Skin Prick Tests: The standard test for food allergies used to be (and often still is) the skin prick test. In this test, suspected allergens are placed on the skin and a prick or scratch is made under the drop. A reaction to the skin is then looked for. Skin prick tests can work for some types of allergens, particularly inhalants, but when the allergen is in a food they do not produce a positive result except when the reaction is immediate and violent.
Medical Blood Tests: Some blood tests have accurately diagnosed food allergies but the blood tests can be expensive and often are not covered by insurance. If you want a medical food allergy blood test, look for a physician who has a lot of experience in this area in order to get a good blood testing lab and accurate results interpretation.
Elimination Diet: Finding your food allergies by doing an elimination diet is the most time consuming method but it is also the most economical. In an elimination diet you avoid all (or most) of the foods that you normally eat. If after three weeks your health improves then you know that you are allergic to (intolerant to) something that you eliminated. Reintroduce one of the foods for three days. If you do not react after three days, add another food on the fourth day. If, however, you did react to the food, eliminate it from your diet again until all symptoms subside (5 to 10 days). Keep repeating this process until you have tested all of your foods.
Muscle Testing (Applied Kinesiology): Another test for food allergies is muscle testing (also knows as Applied Kinesiology). In this method you hold a vile containing a suspected food allergen and the practitioner tests your muscle strength (usually your arm). If holding the vile makes you weaker then you are intolerant to it and need to stop eating it. If the vile makes you stronger then you are not allergic to that food. This food allergy testing method has not been extensively scientifically tested but if you manage to suspend your disbelief you will be pleased with the results! Fortunately the cost of being tested for 100 to 120 food items is reasonable, usually $90 to $120.
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