Scientific Allergy tests in Food allergy diagnosis.

Allergy tests are not merely remote blood tests. The history usually is the most important diagnostic tool in diagnosing food allergy. The physician interviews the patient to determine if the facts are consistent with a food allergy.  A doctor makes this assessment with the help of a detailed history from the patient,  He or she then confirms the diagnosis by the more objective skin tests, blood tests, or food challenges.If the patient's history, dietary diary,  suggests that a specific food allergy is likely, Double blind placebo food challenge is the gold standard in allergy diagnosis.

A person can have a positive skin test to a food allergen, however, without experiencing allergic reactions to that food. A doctor diagnoses a food allergy only when the patient has a positive skin test to a specific allergen and the history suggests an allergic reaction to the same food. In some highly allergic people, however, especially if they have had anaphylactic reactions, skin tests should not be done because they could provoke another dangerous reaction.  In allergy diagnosis it is the qualified doctor who is the key person to decide  whether to test,what to test , how to test and how to make use of the tests for patients treatment.

Food challenge: The double-blind food challenge has become the gold standard for objective allergy testing. The advantage of a food challenge is  if the patient has an allergic reaction only to the suspected foods and not to the other foods tested, the diagnosis of food allergy is confirmed. This procedure is expensive because it is difficult and requires a lot of time, and can be done only by qualified allergist. if patients symptoms are not due to allergy, additional efforts may be directed at finding the real cause of the patient's symptoms

.Dietary avoidance: Avoiding the offending allergen in the diet is the primary treatment of food allergy. Once a food to which the patient is sensitive has been identified, the food must be removed from the diet. To do this, affected people need to read lengthy, detailed lists of ingredients on the label for each food they consider eating. Many allergy-producing foods such as peanuts, eggs, and milk appear in foods that are not ordinarily associated with them. For example, peanuts often are used as protein supplements, eggs are found in some salad dressings, and milk is in bakery products. The FDA requires that the ingredients in a food be listed on its label. to know about hidden allergens.People can avoid most of the foods to which they are sensitive if they carefully read the labels on foods and, when in restaurants, avoid ordering foods that might contain ingredients to which they are allergic. no medication in any form is available to reliably prevent an allergic reaction to a certain food before eating that food.Food allergy is caused by immune reactions to foods, sometimes in individuals or families predisposed to allergies.

. When a food allergy is suspected, a medical evaluation is the key to proper management.

It is important to distinguish a true food allergy from other abnormal responses to food, that is, food intolerances, which actually are far more common than food It is important to distinguish a true food allergy from other abnormal responses to food, that is, food intolerances, which actually are far more common than food allergy. Once the diagnosis of food allergy is made (primarily by the medical history) and the allergen is identified (usually by skin tests), the treatment basically is to avoid the offending food. People with food allergies should work with their physicians and become knowledgeable about allergies and how they are diagnosed and treated.

KEY POINTS

• Food allergy can be serious. Food allergy can cause symptoms related to any system of body particularly gastrointestinal, skin , eyes and even asthma.
• Food allergy differs from food intolerance, which is far more common.
• The more frequent types of food allergies in adults differ from those in children.
• Children can outgrow their food allergies, but adults usually do not.
• The diagnosis of food allergy is made with a detailed history, the patient's diet diary,mainly by a qualified allergist..
• Food allergy is treated primarily by dietary avoidance.