Parents are aware of the possibility that their children may develop a food allergy, but few know that it is possible to develop a food allergy in adulthood. Others might confuse indigestion or a skin rash for allergic reactions when there could be other possible explanations. But allergies are much more complicated than that. Let’s look at how you could know if you have developed a food allergy and what you should do if that’s the case.
The Signs You Have a Food Allergy
One of the surest signs of an allergic reaction to food is that you suffer multiple histamine responses. It is evident when you suffer itchy eyes, hives and a stuffy nose every time you eat a certain food. Food allergies are nearly confirmed if you have an itchy mouth after eating a specific food. Another warning sign is when you develop a rash around the mouth when you eat it and hives if you touch it. Nausea and stomach pain are less reliable indicators, since these symptoms could be due to the serious food intolerance. A rapid heartbeat or trouble breathing is more likely a food allergy and a dangerous symptom to ignore.
The Risks of Ignoring These Warning Signs
If you’re already suffering from an itchy mouth or watering eyes when you eat a particular food, you may be struggling to breathe the next time you eat it. If you’re already seeing your cheeks or another part of your body swell up after you eat something, you run the risk of the next allergic reaction causing your airways to swell shut. If your heart rate spikes up after you eat a particular food, repeated exposure could cause heart problems that last a lifetime. Instead of ignoring these warning signs or wondering if you actually have food allergies, the solution is to be tested and know for certain.
The Process of Getting Tested for Food Allergies
There are three main food allergy tests. During a food allergy test Bangkok, the doctor will give the patient the food they may be allergic to in small doses followed by an observation period to see if the patient has an allergic reaction. In the open blind test, both the doctor and the patient know what the patient is eating. In a single blind test, the doctor knows which food is being given to the patient but the patient does not. This test will weed out cases where the patient is having an emotional reaction upon eating something out of fear that they are allergic but is not really having an immunological response.
A double-blind test has the food provided to the patient where neither the patient nor the doctor knows whether the potential allergen was given. This is a universally accepted test, since the patient cannot cue off the doctor’s behavior and become afraid of what they’re eating. Patients won’t suffer a stress related stomach ache and leave everyone worried that they have had an allergic reaction to what they ate.
Appropriate medical attention would be given if someone experiences an allergic reaction. If nothing happens, the quantity of the suspected food is increased. By the end of the test, if nothing has happened, doctors can be certain that you’re not allergic to the food.
Food allergies are very serious and ignoring symptoms could eventually put your life in danger. Make sure that you consult a specialist if you think you might be developing an allergy as soon as possible.
