Simple Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions About Food Allergies

If you have reason to believe you may have food allergies then you likely have many questions. You may wonder what they are, how you can find out if you have food allergies, and what options are available to treat them. The best way to get specific answers to your questions is to contact Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group at 805-658-9500 to make an appointment to work with an allergist. In the meantime, read on to get answers to some of your questions.

What exactly are food allergies?

First, let’s look at what we mean when we use the phrase “food allergies.” This term refers to allergic reactions to certain foods. Though people can be allergic to a wide range of foods, some of the most common include:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Shellfish

When a person is allergic to a food and they eat that food, their immune system believes that the food is a threat. As a result, it tries to fight it. The body believes that the allergic person is in danger and causes the immune system to go into overdrive with any number of allergic symptoms. In some cases the symptoms can be as mild as having a few hives, while in others symptoms can be as serious as life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

How can I find out if I have food allergies?

When we diagnose you for food allergies, we’ll first listen to you and your experiences. We’ll then perform medical testing to ensure that we’re making a diagnosis on both signs and symptoms, as well as physical evidence. It’s essential that you make sure you’re as accurate and thorough as possible. We recommend writing down your experiences as soon as they happen so that you don’t forget them.

There are a number of food allergy tests we can do and the right one will depend on your unique symptoms. Common examples are skin scratch tests and intradermal skin tests. In the event these aren’t conclusive we may use other tests such as elimination diets.

Are food allergies treatable?

It depends on the food. There are a number of treatments for food allergies and how well they will work will depend partially on how serious your allergy is. We may recommend an antihistamine, either over the counter or a prescription based one. In the event your allergy is very serious, the answer may be to avoid it entirely. We may also prescribe epinephrine pens for you to have on hand at all times in case you are exposed to the food you’re allergic to.

Get answers today by making an appointment with a local allergist

The truth is that you won’t know exactly how to treat your particular food allergy until you’ve been tested and talked to the experts. At Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group, we are here to help. Contact us today at 805-658-9500 to set up your appointment. Bring as much information as you can about your symptoms and reactions so that we can provide you with the best treatment possible.