Food Allergy

DIAGNOSIS

Requires a detailed history and physical examination and diagnostic tests

- skin prick test (SPT) -serum-specific IgE testing to foods -oral food challenges

* Referral to an allergist is IMPORTANT to confirm the diagnosis of a suspected food allergy.
*Patients SHOULD avoid the food in question until assessment, and an epinephrine auto-injector should be prescribed, even if the diagnosis is uncertain.

HISTORY

It is IMPORTANT to inquire about all suspected foods and to discuss the manner of preparation.
Time of onset of symptoms in relation to food exposure, symptom duration and severity, as well as reproducibility of symptom in the case of recurrent exposure SHOULD be determined.
It is also IMPORTANT
Other strategies that can help assist in the diagnosis of food allergy are an elimination diet and food/symptom diaries.

The elimination diet can be used for both the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy and requires complete avoidance of suspected foods or groups of foods for a given period of time (usually 1-2 weeks), while monitoring for an associated decrease in symptoms.

*Success of this approach in the diagnosis of food allergy depends on identifying the correct food allergen and completely eliminating it from the diet. It is limited by potential bias in both patients and physicians, and variable patient compliance with the diet.

Food/symptom diaries require the patient to keep a chronological record of all foods eaten and any associated adverse symptoms. These records may be helpful for identifying the food implicated in an adverse reaction; however, they are not usually diagnostic, particularly when symptoms are delayed or infrequent.

*Tests such as applied kinesiology, vega machine testing and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) blood testing HAVE NO ROLE in the diagnosis of food