So you’ve been dealing with some symptoms that you just can’t seem to be able to pinpoint the cause. You think that it may be caused by something that you’re eating. How in the world are you suppose to figure out which food it is? You don’t feel like doing an elimination diet or maybe you’ve already given it a whirl and still couldn’t come to a conclusion. You’re at the end of your ropes and you want to know what is going on NOW!!

That’s where we were with my younger son. We had done elimination after elimination after elimination and couldn’t seem to pinpoint exactly what was the culprit. The poor kiddo was limited enough on what he could eat. I didn’t want to take anything else out without knowing for sure this was the cause for his incurable eczema.

The truth is that while there are multiple different tests available to determine if you have an allergy or sensitivity there are plenty out there that will not truly give you the info you are so desperately searching for. You may end up receiving results that state you’re allergic or sensitive to many foods that you are not necessarily allergic or sensitive to. Then you’re feeling like you need to eliminate more than what is actually necessary from your diet. In efforts to avoid this lets talk about some key things to look for when you are working with a physician to determine if in fact you have a food sensitivity.

No matter what test is administered make sure that your physician is using those results along with your history of reactions that you’ve documented.

Common Tests

•  IgG and IgE Tests – blood and prick tests.
• Oral Food Challenge – This is good because the best way to determine if you have an allergy or sensitivity to a food is by consuming it and watching how the body reacts. Unfortunately for some sensitivities your reaction takes hours or even days before the symptoms occur.

If at any point you receive a diagnosis that just doesn’t seem right, don’t hesitate to get a second opinion.

Also if you are experiencing symptoms like hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, low blood pressure (passing out), or anaphylaxis immediately contact your physician as this may be a sign of a very serious allergic reaction.

I look forward to continuing in this series and talking about how to help your child not feel like they stand out or are different while dealing with food sensitivities.