Finding out what's causing your allergies isn't always that simple. While an array of in-office and lab allergy tests exist to help you pinpoint the material you should avoid, the tests aren't perfect. Plus, your body could always have odd reactions that give varying results.
This is particularly frustrating if you have suspected food allergies. The be-all, end-all test in these cases is the food elimination test or challenge, which is the best way to double-check a result on an allergy test.
Why Do a Test at All?
Most of the time, double-checking the test result means that you're double-checking to see if a positive result is real or a false positive. However, it's also possible to have false negatives. Allergy tests are often used to confirm an already-suspected allergy, so a negative result doesn't necessarily mean that the suspected food is not responsible for the allergy.
Obviously, if the result of the test is in line with what appears to be happening, then the result is generally accepted. For example, if you tend to have breathing trouble after eating eggs, and you have a positive allergy test result for eggs, that answers the question of what's causing your breathing trouble.
But if you have a general food allergy panel done, and the culprit for your breathing problems appears to be eggs even though you tend not to react after eating eggs, then you need to double-check that result with a food elimination test.
These elimination tests are also handy for further refining results if the other tests are inconclusive. For example, if you have a skin-prick test done for a food, and the reaction is so tiny that the doctor can't tell if it's a reaction to the allergen or the skin prick itself, a food elimination test works well.
How to Do a Food Elimination Test
Food elimination tests are straightforward. You avoid the food in question, including all processed foods that contain that suspect food or a derivative, for a set length of time. Once your reactions have died down, you try a bit of the food in question, either at home or in the presence of a doctor, to see if you react.
The length of time for the test is generally 2 weeks. This may change if you have to wait for a previous reaction to calm down. Your doctor will tell you how long you have to avoid the food.
The aforementioned derivatives are a source of confusion for many people undergoing the test. Food allergens are proteins, and these proteins can appear in different forms. Often, these proteins appear in extractions and lab-derived forms of the food and can be found in foods that otherwise have nothing else to do with the allergen, so make sure to check labels carefully.
What to Be Aware Of
A little exposure to the food you're trying to test will interfere with the test. It's annoying, but true. An elimination challenge requires that the food and all its derivatives be completely eliminated from your diet, so even a bit of that food breaks that rule. If you have family members or friends who insist you eat the food you're trying to test, enlist your doctor's help in explaining to the person that their insistence may harm you.
Another issue that you and your doctor will need to decide is how to reintroduce multiple foods if you're testing several at once. This can be done with or without supervision. If your allergic reactions have been severe, you definitely need supervision.
But if the reactions are ones you can take care of yourself (for example, a mild rash), work out a reintroduction schedule with the doctor and record your reactions (or lack thereof). Have the right medication on hand if that's what you need to fend off a reaction.
If you need to find a doctor who can guide you through a food elimination test for a possible allergy, contact Amin Family Medical Center. The doctors at Amin will stick with you from the initial intake appointment all the way through food allergy counseling and maintenance. You can find what's causing your reactions with the right help.
