Food Allergy Symptoms

A food allergy test can help you determine if you suffer from an allergic reaction to a certain type of food.  There are millions of people allergic to food, so these tests can give you pretty accurate results that can save your life.  Remember that severe symptoms can lead to death if not treated quickly.

Types of Food Allergy Tests

Testing can be done by blood tests, or skin tests. A common type of test for food allergies is the RAST test.  This will help you find the presence of IgE antibodies.  The skin test is done by injecting an extract of the possible foods that trigger the allergy and then observing the reactions.  It is also injected an extract of the most common types of food that produce allergic reactions: milk, wheat, corn, soy, chocolate, tomato, pork, citrus, eggs and tree nuts.
 
Delayed Food Allergy Tests

There are many food allergy symptoms that don’t show up immediately after ingesting the “trigger” food.  This is when delayed food allergy tests are useful.  They measure the amount of IgG4 levels in serum that reacts to dozens of foods.

These tests show you the foods that cause the reaction even hours after eating them.

Where to Find Food Allergy Tests

Food allergy tests are found in hospitals, and in specialized clinics that have special tests for an increased amount of food types.  You can find these clinics and services available in your area through the Internet.  Their sites have more information about their testing methods.