Types Of Food Allergy Testing

Food allergy is an unpleasant immune response to a food protein. It will happen after eating or inhaling something which is not accepted by your immune system. In many adults and children, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, milk and eggs are cause of food allergy. Food allergy symptoms can occur just after eating. If you have a food allergy from any food you will see these symptoms have included:

� Difficulty in swallowing
� Rashes on the back
� Itching in the mouth, lips, eyes, throat, tongue, or else areas
� Swelling of lips, eyelids, tongue or whole face
� Nausea
� Runny nose or congested nose
� Stomach pain
� Fainting

Food allergies testing

If you are feeling you have food allergies and feel these symptoms after having food, then it is very important for you to ensure that these symptoms are cause of food allergy or something else. There are few types of food allergy testing.

� History of your symptoms: Whenever you will go to your doctor for food allergy diagnosis, your doctor can ask you about your symptoms when they began, what kind of food you take, and what types of changes you have experienced in your atmosphere.
� Skin prick tests: A skin prick test or scratch test can determine allergic reaction to a certain food. In prick tests, a tiny amount of the supposed food is placed on your skin either back or forearm and then pricked with a needle. It will allow a small amount of the food under your skin surface. If any reaction or bump will appear on your skin, that will determine you are allergic to a tested food. Skin prick test only works for IgE antibodies.
� Rast tests (blood test): It is another way to confirm for food allergies. It has same disadvantage, it will only detect immunoglobulin E (IgE) allergens. In this test, your blood sample taken by your doctor and sent to laboratory test, where different types of food can be tested. But, this blood test is not always accurate.
� Elimination diet: If the blood test and skin prick test show positive result of food allergy, for more confirmation your doctor may advise you to eliminate particular food from your diet for 2 to 3 weeks. If your symptoms will improve within these weeks then it will confirm that you have food allergy from the particular food. Never touch, inhale, or eat the allergen food is include in elimination diet process.
� Oral food challenge: In this test, your doctor will give you a small amount of suspect food. If you do not have any allergic reaction during this test then you can again include this particular food in your diet. Or your doctor will give you a capsule that each capsule contains different types of food. After swallowing the capsule, if your doctor watches any allergic reaction, it will be confirm that suspected food is allergen.