Tag: food allergies;

Spotting the Culprit: Food Allergy Blood Test

A simple food allergy can change the way a person live his or her life for it basically makes this person a little altered than his or her allergy-free contemporaries. Allergies with certain types of food are caused by a specific chemical that is a common chemical ingredient in that same food. So, it is not surprising that an allergy to food may also cause a reaction to medications which subsequently leads to an alteration in medications, too.

As a result, medical professionals have been finding ways to detect food allergies as early as possible before the reactions take place. There are numerous testing processes that they utilize in finding out whether a patient is allergic to certain types of chemicals. One of these tests includes blood testing.

But before going further about blood testing, you should first understand what goes on inside the body during the allergic process.

There are two ways that the immune system reacts to an allergy. One approach is that the body, after the detection of allergens, generates immunoglobulin E or IgE which is a kind of antibody. IgE is then disseminated in the blood stream. The other approach is the occurrence of mast cells. Mast cells appear in the body tissues particularly in common allergy sites like the throat, nasal cavity, oral cavity, skin, lungs, and the organs of the gastrointestinal system.

There are cases that the capacity to produce immunoglobulin E to fight off a certain food allergen is in inherited. Individuals who are at higher risk in being afflicted with food allergies are those who have blood relations who have suffered from asthma, eczema, and hay fever.

Furthermore, an individual must initially be in contact with the potential food allergen before his or her body produces the antibody IgE. As the individual is finally exposed to the allergen the IgE is then produced and consequently fastens itself to the mast cells. This team up will eventually cause body chemical reactions the next time the allergen is eaten by the hapless individual.

Now, this immunoglobulin E is important in the detection for allergies through blood testing. The most frequently utilized blood tests are Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and CAP-RAST (which is basically similar to RAST but more advanced).

In blood tests, the outcome is ranked from one to six, with one the least positive and six the most. Blood tests can be utilized in individuals afflicted with a severe case of eczema since this type of testing can not be influenced by antihistamines.

Following the drawing of blood samples, it is then sent away to the laboratories for further evaluation. Blood tests can be pretty much expensive and results are not immediately available for the patient to know whether they are allergic to certain food or not.

Eventually, an allergy is diagnosed when the medical professionals detected the presence of the immunoglobulin E or IgE in the patients blood. But the results of the blood test can not identify if there is a close connection between the existence of IgE and the allergys intensity. There are even cases wherein the results are negative although the patient manifests symptoms of food allergy.

In case, blood tests fail there are still other tests that the medical professionals may utilize to size up your allergy. These tests may include skin prick tests, elimination diets, and food challenges.

Furthermore, feel free to ask questions to the medical professionals concerning the results to better understand your condition.

Food Allergy and Food Intolerance: Identification and Treatment

Most medical doctors nowadays are giving much attention to food allergies and intolerance unlike before. Although there is no particular drug that can be used as treatment for food allergies, there are other alternatives that can be pursued to control your addiction to certain foods. Some doctors also prescribe vitamin supplements and other drugs that can be helpful in controlling your cravings for certain foods.

Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamin wrote a book which was published way back in the year 2000. It’s a book all about food allergies, food intolerance, and their treatments. If you want to get invaluable advice to achieve long-lasting and dramatic health improvements, this is the best book to add to your book collection.

This book explains how food sensitivities cause misdiagnosed and chronic ailments like migraines, persistent fatigue, and sinus problems. It also features a gradual process of identifying certain food allergies, intolerances, and helps you reshape your diet to achieve better health.

Some chronic ailments like the ones mentioned above remain elusive, and doctors find it quite hard to diagnose such ailments. If all conventional tests can’t provide comprehensible diagnosis, the likely culprits are food intolerance and food allergies.

You can find clear explanations about the causes, differences between allergies and intolerance, and various case studies on certain problems that the readers are quite familiar about. Most importantly, the needed solutions or treatments for such problems are also provided. Many charts and illustrations are provided, including an elimination diet divided into three stages and a gradual reintroduction food system.

If you suspect that you have a persistent condition that is linked to any dietary sensitivity, this book can provide you with the necessary information that you will need in achieving sound results. You’re not only improving your health, but your life as well.

Most critics gave the book high ratings and they claim that the texts are thorough and detailed. The critics recommend the book for public health collections and for the general consumers. If you’re studying about food problems and allergies, this is a must-have that you shouldnt miss. Of course the book can’t please everyone, and there are those that say the book lacks adequate examination of complementary and/or alternative practices which most readers and allergy sufferers are looking for in a book.

Many consumers also gave the book high ratings. Most of them claim that it’s truly a helpful book that it unlocks the door that leads to the better understanding of food intolerance and food allergy.

The good news is that the book is sold at approximately $20, and is shipped to you in twenty four hours. If you can’t afford it, you can settle for used copies, but make sure that you get it from authorized dealers.

The authors of the book are Brostoff and Gamlin, and they are an honorary professor/consulting physician and biochemist respectively. Brostoff is highly recognized as the leading authority on intolerance and food allergy internationally while Gamlin specializes about health matters, allergies, and immune system. Gamlin is also a well respected writer.

So if anyone in your family suffers from any health condition and you think that it is brought about by food allergy, or perhaps food intolerance, dont hesitate to buy the book. This is the key to discover what causes such health conditions.

Eczema and Food Allergy; are They Really related to Each

Eczema and Food Allergy; are They Really related to Each Other

Eczema is a type of skin ailment that usually comes with itching, skin thickening and scaling. Most often, eczema appears on the knees, arms, elbows and even on the face.

When this type of skin ailment affects children, especially those who have a clear skin, parents are not able to distinguish its cause at once.

Usually, parents perceived that food allergies are the source of their child’s eczema. However, there are numerous experts who find this belief to be untrue. Instead, these experts advise parents not to limit the diet of their child without consulting with a pediatrician first.

An example of eczema relating to food allergy was the case of a five month old baby who suffers from severe eczema.

According to the mother, the baby is intolerant to lactose early on, even the formulas of lactose free appear to be incompatible to her baby. Hence, she decided to shift to soy.

The soy shows a good reaction on the baby’s skin. However, after sometime, the eczema appeared again.

If you are in the position of the mother, would you think that the soy caused the eczema to the baby? Would you prefer to use again the lactose free formula?

As what has been mentioned in the previous paragraph, eczema usually appears and vanishes, leaving the child with clear eczema free skin for a couple of weeks. That makes the triggering factor of eczema hard to be determined.

This is the exact thing experienced by the mother in the presented case.

Though it is true that the controversy about food allergies as a triggering factor of eczema do not die away until now, the relationship of a lactose free formula to the baby’s eczema do not show a good reason.

According to the experts, the baby might catch the allergy from milk proteins, or if not from the soy proteins. They reject lactose, a sugar, to be the reason.

Shifting to lactose free formula can be her option. But experts affirmed that lactose do not include a formula that would cure the baby’s eczema. If ever it does, it is certainly a coincidence.

Lactose may develop other symptoms, like or instance fussiness, diarrhea or gas.

If you have the same case, it is suggested that you visit your baby’s pediatrician rather than rely on hearsay. You can cite to your baby’s pediatrician that you are suspecting the baby to be allergic on soy formula including those that are milk based.

Your pediatrician will tell you whether these formulas really worsen the eczema. Hypoallergenic formula like Alomentum or Nutramigen can be prescribed.

The pediatrician might also advise allergy testing. This is done through blood testing.

Now, if you really observe that the food or even drinks your baby had taken has worsen his eczema, then you can just simply avoid them. But clarify it with your pediatrician; he is more knowledgeable about food allergies.

Note that there are also some children who both have eczema as well food allergies. But these two do not tend to affect one another.

The best thing about this case is to know the treatments for eczema. Follow the prescription of the pediatrician; this will assure you that you are applying the right medication for your baby.

Determine properly the triggering factor. Usually, pediatricians prescribe moisturizers, or topical steroids.

Dog’s with a Food Allergy: Treating and Managing Your Dog’s

Dog’s with a Food Allergy: Treating and Managing Your Dog’s Allergy

Food allergy is one of the most common diseases in today’s society. You have to consider that allergies can cause discomfort in your daily activities and you will not be able to do your daily activities properly. However, you have to consider that your dog too can experience food allergies.

You have to consider the fact your dog too can have food allergies. This is why you should also monitor your pet because allergies can cause severe discomfort in your dog and in severe cases, it can be life threatening. It is very important that you should be aware of the signs and symptoms of dog allergies as it can be hard to detect. You have to remember that your dog cannot talk and cannot tell you what they are feeling. So, it is important to remember that you should know how to detect dog allergies in order for you to manage it properly and know how to effectively treat them.

Dogs today eat a variety of processed foods and food allergy is the third most common causes of allergies in dog. As with the human allergy, the dog’s immune system also overreacts to a certain kind of food that will trigger their immune system to release histamines to fight of the invader. You have to consider that the so-called invader is usually harmless to dogs and the immune system overreacts to it and mistakes it as harmful.

If your dog is suffering from an allergy attack, you will see that they have itching in several parts of the body. They will experience itching in the face, foot, limb, belly and they will also experience recurrent ear infections. You will also see that they will not be as active as usual, will refuse to eat and will vomit.

One of the main causes of food allergies is staring at you in the face. The dog foods available today that can be brought from several pet stores contains junk ingredients that can cause allergic reaction to your dogs. The proteins found in beef, chicken, chicken eggs, wheat and dairy products are the most common causes of allergies in dogs. As you can see, the ingredients mentioned are also the most common ingredients found in dog food. It is important that you should try switching your dog’s diet in order to determine what kind of food that is causing the allergy.

It is also important that you should take your dog to the vet in order to perform a series of physical examination that will determine what kind of ingredient in dog foods that contains ingredients that causes the allergies. Once the allergen is identified, the vet will recommend that your dog should change diet from regular dog food that contains allergens to hypoallergenic dog food. Although hypoallergenic dog foods can cost quite higher than regular and popular dog foods available in the market, you can be sure that your dog will always be in shape and will always live a happy life.

You can also choose homemade diets but you have to remember that the vitamins and minerals should be carefully balanced in order to provide the adequate nourishment your dog needs. Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with a diet plan for your dog.

With proper management and proper treatment, your dog will be able to live a happier life and will minimize the risk of allergy attacks.

Your Cat and Food Allergy

Dogs and cats are affected by food allergies. Having a pet cat has its rewards and you get to have a companion when you’re all alone in your house. But did you know that even if your feline companion is just 5 months old, it can already have a food allergy? However, majority of cats exhibit symptoms of an allergy between 2 to 6 years old. Those cats that have food allergies have contact allergies or concurrent inhalant.

Oftentimes, pet owners confuse a food allergy from food intolerance. The first one is the true allergy wherein symptoms of skin problems and itching are associated with cat allergies. The latter is a result of diarrhea or vomiting and doesnt create an allergic response. The one thing that is common among the two is that both conditions can be removed with a carefully planned diet that is free from allergy agents.

Among cats, the most common types of food that cause an allergic reaction are dairy products, beef, and fish. The offenders are also the common ingredient in their foods. The correlation is not considered a coincidence. There are proteins that are antigenic than other proteins. The food proteins are usually similar and the occurrence of allergic responses can be associated with exposure.

The major symptom if your cat has a food allergy is an itchy skin. It can also include excessive scratching, miliary dermatitis, and hair loss. If you purely base your evaluation from physical signs, then you can’t distinguish if your cat has food allergy, or if your cat has Atopy and other allergies.

If at the beginning of winter your cat is having an allergic reaction, or if it happens all year-round, then your cat might be suffering from food allergy. If the itchy skin felt by your cat doesnt respond to steroid treatments and antihistamines, then this is another confirmation that your cat is suffering from an allergy.

Prior to obtaining a food allergy diagnosis, your cat’s other health problems must be identified and treated. This includes Atopy, parasite hypersensitivities, allergies with flea bites, bacterial or yeast infections, seborrhea, and other problems. If all those problems are resolved and your cat still exhibits symptoms, then you should start with a food trial.

Your cat’s food trial should consist of novel food and carbohydrate that will last for about 12 weeks. You can avail of the diet commercially, or you can also have it homemade. Dont give your cats treats during the trial period. Just make sure that it is still a well-balanced diet so that your cat won’t get sick.

If you observe elimination or marked reduction of the symptoms, then you should do provocative testing, which means that you give the original food back. This is essential to prove or confirm your diagnosis. If the symptoms go back after eating the original food, then your diagnosis is confirmed. Your cat truly has food allergy.

After such confirmation, you have two choices. You can either feed your cat a homemade diet or a commercial diet. If you choose the first option, you can challenge your cat with other ingredients that doesnt cause allergic reactions. Make sure that you give the right amount of food ingredients. The second option requires you to purchase every now and then and an added cost.

Whatever you choose, it’s for your cat’s well-being.