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How Referral to an Allergy/Immunology Physician can Help in the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy
1. Allergy/Immunology Physicians Can Help to Diagnose Food Allergy:
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to a food can include asthma, gastrointestinal distress, hives, swelling, or itching. The Allergy/Immunology Physician can determine if a person is experiencing these symptoms due to food allergy
An Allergy/Immunology Physician is specially trained to administer and interpret the results of lab tests such as blood tests, skin prick tests, or food challenges to help determine the appropriate food(s) to avoid.
Individuals sometimes mistakenly believe they have a food allergy and eliminate foods from their diet, which can impact their quality of life and nutrition. An Allergy/Immunology Physician can help minimize the number of restricted foods to those actually necessary to be avoided.
An Allergy/Immunology Physician can determine when to perform diagnostic tests to see if a food allergy has been outgrown.
Some food allergy reactions in infants, particularly those involving the gastrointestinal (GI) tract cannot be identified with lab tests. An Allergy/Immunology Physician may use elimination diets and food challenges to make an appropriate diagnosis.
Inflammation in the esophagus, such as eosinophilic gastroenteritis, esophagitis, and/or gastroenterocolitis, might be caused by food allergy. An Allergy/Immunology Physician can help identify the food responsible for the symptoms.
2. Allergy/Immunology Physicians Can Counsel Patients regarding Avoidance and Management
A child born to a family with allergies is likely to develop allergies. The Allergy/Immunology Physician can educate families and provide information and guidelines for preventing or delaying the onset of food allergy.
Avoidance of milk or soy in the first year of life might reduce the risk of developing allergy in a high-risk child. The Allergy/Immunology Physician can explain the latest research and discuss the best option for each patient.
For a person who has food allergies, the Allergist-Immunologist is specifically trained to educate that person about avoidance strategies.
An Allergy/Immunology Physician can determine an allergic individual’s risk for a severe reaction and can educate the patient about immediate management to minimize the severity of the reaction in case a reaction occurs.
3. Allergy/Immunology Physicians Can Help Prevent Food Allergy-Related Fatalities
- Food allergy is the most common cause of severe allergic reactions, anaphylaxis, outside the hospital setting. The Allergy/Immunology Physician can confirm the cause of the anaphylaxis.
- The Allergy/Immunology Physician can educate the individual at risk for anaphylaxis about avoidance measures, and how to treat a reaction that does occur to prevent a death.
