What is anaphylaxis is a commonly asked question on the subject of food allergies.  Anaphylaxis occurs when certain allergens whether they are foods, bee venom, or other such substances cause the body to produce huge amounts of histamine because the body recognizes the substance as an invader. It is an extreme overactive response of the immune system to deal with an invading substance. The histamine causes hives and difficulty in breathing due to inflammation which may progress to the point of airway blockage causing respiratory and cardiac arrest. Severe reactions are treated initially with epinephrine. Those with severe allergies usually carry an EpiPen which is an injectable dose of epinephrine.

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A food allergy is a negative physical reaction that occurs after ingesting and in some cases inhaling particles of certain foods as well as coming into contact with those foods at times. A food allergy is an immune system response that recognizes the food as an invader. Some food allergy sufferers can have allergic responses so severe that it results in anaphylaxis which is life-threatening.

Though milder allergies may have many of the symptoms of food intolerance such as abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, skin issues and nausea, the immune system is always involved when there is an allergy.

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Fortunately for people seeking food allergy testing, food allergies are medically testable since there is an involvement of the immune system while a food intolerance may still exist but have all negative test results. Allergy testing of immunoglobulins which are antibodies that may be found in the body is one example of allergy testing. There are different immunoglobulins and they are usually written as IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE, and IgD with IgE levels being considered the most for people with allergies.

ALCAT testing is offered by a company called Cell Systems Corporation in Deerfield Beach, Florida. ALCAT is purported to test a person’s blood for reactions to over 350 food substances. As with other methods of this type there is a segment of those who say that it works and those who say it does not work. The testing at the time of this writing begins at $425.00.

Skin testing involves taking an amount of the suspected allergen and either scratching the skin with it, injecting a little bit just under the skin or applying a patch with the allergen on the skin. Testing such as scratch testing usually involves testing a bunch of common allergens on the skin at once. The medical personnel applying the allergens keep track of which allergen is put where on the skin. After anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours later the area where the allergens were placed is visually examined. Reactions to any of the allergens are determined by a medical professional.

Skin biopsies are performed when there are symptoms that are involving the skin. Most think that a biopsy would be for cancer, but there are other times that it is prudent as well. A skin biopsy is when a medical professional either shaves off a tiny section of skin, takes a tiny core sample of skin, or cuts out a small part of skin to assay by testing. The sample is tested for antibodies and is examined microscopically.

The elimination diet is non-invasive but requires the sufferer to one-hundred percent commit to the elimination of ingesting, or in the case of sever allergies even coming in contact with, the suspected allergen. Since processed foods contain so many ingredients, and since the Standard American Diet (SAD) contains so many processed foods, the elimination diet may be the hardest for the sufferer to endure.

	MORE INFO:		Food Intolerance		Recipes
	Dairy Intolerance		Gluten Intolerance		Egg Intolerance
	Wheat Intolerance		Soy Intolerance		Sugar Intolerance & Addiction
	Lactose Intolerance		Corn Intolerance		Yeast Intolerance

 

 

Many of the ways a food allergy or food intolerance manifest in the body happen to be the same but there is a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance.  The difference is that a food allergy triggers a measurable immune system response while a food intolerance does not. A food intolerance causes upset of the natural processes of the gut to the degree that symptoms will start to show both in the gut such as cramping and bloating to the more extreme leaky gut whose permeability has changed, to symptoms in other body tissues such as eczema of the skin.

 
 
 

An allergic response is when a person’s body reacts to certain foods in such a way that the body employs an immune system response. This is because it “believes” the food as harmful. Classic food allergy symptoms can occur in the digestive system, respiratory system, or other areas of the body. Some of the most common food allergy responses include a tingling sensation in the mouth, vomiting, difficulty breathing, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, swelling of the tongue and throat and can progress to a drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and even death. With food allergy symptoms sometimes showing within minutes of exposure that the food, this can be dangerous, especially for younger kids, or people with special needs.

Severe food allergy reactions can result in anaphylaxis, the extreme of an allergic reaction which can mean death. It can involve any or all of the areas of the body including, the respiratory system, skin, digestive and gastrointestinal system and the cardiovascular system. In such cases, the use of epinephrine is necessary. Epinephrine is also known as adrenaline. It is available by prescription and can be self-administered, such as the Twinject and the EpiPen.

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