How to Get Tested for Food Allergies
Find a credentialed doctor., Call in advance to request a food allergy test., Ask whether the test will be provided at your practitioner’s office., Ask your healthcare provider if you need to prepare for the allergy test., Write down all relevant...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a credentialed doctor.
It can be tempting to imagine that you have isolated the cause of your allergy on your own and don’t need professional assistance.
What appears like an allergy can actually be part of a larger disorder.
Flawed self-diagnoses can cause these issues to go untreated and result in unnecessarily limiting your access to appropriate sources of nutrition.It is also important that the doctor you seek has proper medical training.
Some experimental methods of testing allergies are actually suspected of increasing the risk of acquiring an allergy. -
Step 2: Call in advance to request a food allergy test.
If your healthcare provider offers the service, you can schedule an appointment specifically to get tested for food allergies.
In some cases, offices may require a consultation prior to testing to ensure that your insurance will cover the test.
If you have no medical reason for suspecting a food allergy (medical reasons would include gastrointestinal discomfort or hives after eating certain foods), your doctor may wish to discuss the appropriateness of the test or try food elimination prior to subjecting you to a skin food allergy test. , In some cases, you may be sent off-site to a laboratory or referred to an allergy specialist for a food allergy test.
If this is the case, ask whether you first need to be seen at your healthcare provider’s office or if you can simply go directly to the test center or specialist office. , Some physicians may request that you practice an elimination diet or keep a food diary.
These can be necessary for isolating an allergy and determining what tests are required.
Do not pursue these methods, however, without the explicit recommendation of a doctor. , Before you visit the doctor, you should be sure that you have available all the information that will allow them to diagnosis your allergy.
This includes your symptoms and everything that might have influenced your condition.
Writing this down will make it less likely that you forget important information.
Write down all of the symptoms you had.
This includes symptoms that maybe came later and seemed unrelated.
They could be part of the same disorder and might be important for diagnosing your condition.
Write down when the reaction occurred, how long the reaction lasted, the severity of the symptoms, and any treatment provided and your reaction to that treatment.
Write down what you ate, how it was prepared (raw, cooked, powdered, etc.), how much you ate, and when you ate it.
Also write down all of the medications that you were on.
Major life changes and outside stressors can also cause negative physical effects, so be sure to inform your doctor of these as well.
If you can, consider bringing along a family member or friend.
They might remember things that you forgot., Some people will break out into hives immediately after eating something they are allergic to.
Sometimes, however, allergic reactions are delayed.
If it is unclear what caused the allergic reaction, your doctor may want you to eliminate suspicious foods from your diet.
It is important you discuss this with your doctor first as they can help you ensure you still get all your required nutrients.Think back to what you ate on the day of your outbreak.
Eliminate those foods from your diet for two weeks.
Slowly introduce the suspected foods into your diet, one at a time.
Write down everything you eat and any symptoms you experience.
Remember, the effects may not be immediate — it may be a few days before you experience a reaction.
If you experience a return of symptoms when you reintroduce a suspected food, then it is likely you are allergic to that food.
If the allergy was severe, you should not attempt this.Each time our body comes into contact with an allergen, the response gets stronger and stronger.
If you already had a severe reaction to the allergen, even a minor encounter could prove fatal.
Talk to your doctor about identifying the trigger as soon as possible, as well as preventative measures and what to do should you be exposed to the allergen. -
Step 3: Ask whether the test will be provided at your practitioner’s office.
-
Step 4: Ask your healthcare provider if you need to prepare for the allergy test.
-
Step 5: Write down all relevant information.
-
Step 6: Ask your doctor if an elimination diet is necessary.
Detailed Guide
It can be tempting to imagine that you have isolated the cause of your allergy on your own and don’t need professional assistance.
What appears like an allergy can actually be part of a larger disorder.
Flawed self-diagnoses can cause these issues to go untreated and result in unnecessarily limiting your access to appropriate sources of nutrition.It is also important that the doctor you seek has proper medical training.
Some experimental methods of testing allergies are actually suspected of increasing the risk of acquiring an allergy.
If your healthcare provider offers the service, you can schedule an appointment specifically to get tested for food allergies.
In some cases, offices may require a consultation prior to testing to ensure that your insurance will cover the test.
If you have no medical reason for suspecting a food allergy (medical reasons would include gastrointestinal discomfort or hives after eating certain foods), your doctor may wish to discuss the appropriateness of the test or try food elimination prior to subjecting you to a skin food allergy test. , In some cases, you may be sent off-site to a laboratory or referred to an allergy specialist for a food allergy test.
If this is the case, ask whether you first need to be seen at your healthcare provider’s office or if you can simply go directly to the test center or specialist office. , Some physicians may request that you practice an elimination diet or keep a food diary.
These can be necessary for isolating an allergy and determining what tests are required.
Do not pursue these methods, however, without the explicit recommendation of a doctor. , Before you visit the doctor, you should be sure that you have available all the information that will allow them to diagnosis your allergy.
This includes your symptoms and everything that might have influenced your condition.
Writing this down will make it less likely that you forget important information.
Write down all of the symptoms you had.
This includes symptoms that maybe came later and seemed unrelated.
They could be part of the same disorder and might be important for diagnosing your condition.
Write down when the reaction occurred, how long the reaction lasted, the severity of the symptoms, and any treatment provided and your reaction to that treatment.
Write down what you ate, how it was prepared (raw, cooked, powdered, etc.), how much you ate, and when you ate it.
Also write down all of the medications that you were on.
Major life changes and outside stressors can also cause negative physical effects, so be sure to inform your doctor of these as well.
If you can, consider bringing along a family member or friend.
They might remember things that you forgot., Some people will break out into hives immediately after eating something they are allergic to.
Sometimes, however, allergic reactions are delayed.
If it is unclear what caused the allergic reaction, your doctor may want you to eliminate suspicious foods from your diet.
It is important you discuss this with your doctor first as they can help you ensure you still get all your required nutrients.Think back to what you ate on the day of your outbreak.
Eliminate those foods from your diet for two weeks.
Slowly introduce the suspected foods into your diet, one at a time.
Write down everything you eat and any symptoms you experience.
Remember, the effects may not be immediate — it may be a few days before you experience a reaction.
If you experience a return of symptoms when you reintroduce a suspected food, then it is likely you are allergic to that food.
If the allergy was severe, you should not attempt this.Each time our body comes into contact with an allergen, the response gets stronger and stronger.
If you already had a severe reaction to the allergen, even a minor encounter could prove fatal.
Talk to your doctor about identifying the trigger as soon as possible, as well as preventative measures and what to do should you be exposed to the allergen.
About the Author
Paul Armstrong
Committed to making home improvement accessible and understandable for everyone.
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