Tests for Food Intolerance

Food allergy is commonly seen in many kids and adults in today’s lifestyle and fast-food culture. There are few foods which are known for causing allergies for generations. The most intolerance food groups are peanuts, milk, egg, seafood and some types of fruits like kiwi, papaya and so on. Though most of the food allergies react quickly which is shown externally through rashes on the faces or hands, they must be detected in a genuine professional way. This can be done through a thorough, simple food allergy blood test. These tests provide accurate, current values of the patient’s allergy level for each food group and compare the values with the normal range and provide the information to the patient if they are highly allergic or within the normal range for each food group. This test report comes in handy for the patient which provides as a reference data of which food to avoid and what are the foods that are safe to consume.

Blood Test

There are several ways to detect allergy in a person like a skin prick test, a trial elimination diet, and oral food challenge and allergy blood test.

• The presence of the blood’s immunoglobulin E or IgE level is measured with regards to the specific food categories.
• This immunoglobulin is the antibody which helps to activate the food allergy symptoms if present. Previously, these tests were called as RAST’s which radioallergosorbent tests is because they also used radioactivity to detect allergies but nowadays it is not used anymore.
• Blood tests give an accurate result, and it can be performed with patients who are having skin rashes or other skin diseases.
• These will not affect the blood tests results, unlike the skin prick tests.
• These food allergy tests are performed in a lab by a skilled technician. If you are allergic to any food group, it will show you a positive result, or it will show you a negative result.

However, apart from these lab tests, it is a good idea to keep a food journal of all the foods which cause you any reaction whether it is a mild rash or bloated feeling or severe pain or wheezing problem. This helps the patients to eradicate certain food groups and consume only safer food groups.