What Should I Do if I Suspect a Food Allergy Reaction?

Key Considerations For Determining The Best Food Allergy Treatment

Food allergies can manifest in many ways, but there is no perfect test or rule that may confirm them. Before making a diagnosis, your healthcare team may consider many factors to determine the best treatment for you.
Person scratching arm due to Food Allergy reaction

Important Steps To Take When Suspecting a Food Allergy

Symptoms: be aware of the reactions your body has when eating some things. If necessary, take down notes.
Your Family’s Allergies: make sure you share with your doctor any information on family members’ allergies.
Physical Examination: a careful exam by a professional may identify other problems
Skin & Blood Tests: a skin prick can determine adverse reactions to food. At the same time, blood tests can measure your immune system’s response to food.
Elimination Diet: it is one of the easiest and most common ways to determine if you are allergic to a specific food. You can do it without a professional indicating it. Just spend a week or two without eating certain foods, and put them back into your diet progressively. This may help you identify your allergies. Despite this, elimination diets are not foolproof.

Effective Treatments For Food Allergy Reactions

The best way to avoid allergic reactions is not to eat any food that you suspect is causing your symptoms. Unfortunately, in some cases, you may accidentally come in contact with food or ingredients in a meal that may cause a reaction.

Prescribed or non-prescribed antihistamines can be useful in case you have a minor allergic reaction but are not the best option for severe reactions. In case you have a severe allergic reaction, you may need an emergency injection of epinephrine, so make sure you go to a hospital or reach for your trusted physician.

Another effective treatment is oral and sublingual immunotherapy. With this method, patients are exposed to small doses of food allergens gradually, over several months, until the patient’s immune system becomes more tolerant and less sensitive to the food they are allergic to.

How To Adjust Your Lifestyle To Manage Food Allergies

You must avoid any food that you suspect is giving you symptoms, especially if you have not consulted with a professional yet. Read all food labels to make sure the ingredients won’t affect you: sometimes they may change without you being aware of it. At social gatherings or restaurants, food may be contaminated by other foods or ingredients you may be allergic to. In case you doubt, choose not to eat.

Coping With Food Allergies: Support & Prevention Tips

Food allergies are usually a source of concern, especially when it comes to children. Some daily situations like preparing dinner or going grocery shopping should be modified but they shouldn’t become a source of stress. To avoid misunderstandings and help everyone at school or work to worry, we suggest you connect with others and educate those around you. Discussing food allergies and exchanging information is always useful, and may prevent allergic reactions in your children.

How To Prepare For Your Appointment

Make sure you write down any symptoms you may have had, besides the food that may have caused it, as well as any medication or supplements you could have been taking, stresses, or recent life changes. You may also want to write a list of questions to ask your allergist.

Your doctor is likely to ask you a list of questions such as when you begin experiencing symptoms, like how severe they were, how much food you ate before the reaction, and if there is anything that may worsen or improve your symptoms.

What To Do While Waiting For a Food Allergy Diagnosis

If you suspect you have a food allergy, the best you can do is to avoid eating it until your appointment comes. Non-prescripted antihistamines may help alleviate symptoms but do not hesitate and reach for a professional. Our group of professional allergy doctors at San Tan Allergy & Asthma is ready to help you determine what has caused your allergy and provide you with the correct treatment. Contact us today!