Despite our best attempts at treating our bodies right, there may be times where you feel as though your body is struggling. And that struggle may be related to an undiagnosed food allergy. Food allergies are common in children as well as adults, however, and when they are undiagnosed, they can cause a lot of unnecessarily strain and stress on our bodies. Getting properly tested will help minimize that strain and stress, if not get rid of it completely. Here’s what you should know about the testing methods.
How to test for food allergies
These are the main ways to test for food allergies. A big part of making sure that you get the results you want is in choosing the method that works the best for you and your own comfort levels.
- Blood sample test: This testing method relies on drawing a small blood sample from your fingertips and using that in a lab setting in order to get the results for the allergy test. By using finger-prick sampling, there are no large needles or vials, which can be alarming for those who are fearful of blood.
- Skin prick test: This method of allergy testing requires using a grid-like pattern of tiny skin pricks in which allergens are placed into the tiny pricks. Wherever welts arise, the results dictate that there is an allergy to that substance. This tends to offer false negatives or positives in food allergies; however, since it doesn’t always trigger the right response as ingestion would.
- Oral test: This seems counter-intuitive in learning how to test for food allergies safely, but this is a real tried and tested (and safe) option to consider. In this testing method, small amounts of the allergen are eaten (the patient doesn’t know which ones contain the allergen) and, over the course of a few hours, the amount of the allergen itself is increased. The results are then documented using monitors and other medical equipment. This testing method is often used in those who are very fearful of blood, have seemingly “wandering” reactions to a lot of things, or have skin conditions that make the skin prick test a bad choice.
When in doubt, go to a pro
Whichever method you choose as being the right one for you, you’ll want to pay careful attention to who you trust to do the allergy test for you. While false positives and negatives can happen with a skin prick test, there is a difference in going with a professional versus an unprofessional testing facility. Your health is dependent on what and who you choose. It’s always best to go pro.
Allergy testing is no one’s idea of a good time, but it is important to do when you need it. A huge part of getting the right results is going with the top of the lie professional. The other part of the equation is deciding which method of how to test for food allergies is right for you and your comfort levels.
