How do you know if you or your child may have a food allergy? We’ve already talked about many of the telltale signs an individual will have if they have an allergy to a certain food product. Just look for the symptoms mentioned above. With foods, digestive problems and skin problems are more common than are classic allergy symptoms, like the watery, itchy eyes and sneezing associated with allergies to environmental irritants.
If you notice gas or bloating after eating a particular food, you may be sensitive or allergic to it. If in doubt, you may consult with your healthcare provider to confirm for certain whether you are sensitive to a food product or not.
Food Triggers – What They Are AND How To Avoid Them
The simplest way to avoid feeling bad or suffering from food allergies is to find out what foods trigger allergy symptoms in your body. You can find out what these triggers are easily by adopting an allergy elimination diet.
What this will usually involve is eating a very bland diet for a couple of weeks. You may usually eat foods including rice, vegetables, lean proteins (excluding eggs and fish) and certain broths.
Your healthcare provider may then suggest you reintroduce foods into your diet one at a time, introducing one new food every two to four days. Monitor how you feel during this time.
Do you experience gas or bloating? Does the food make you nauseous? Do you suddenly develop diarrhea or nausea? If so, you may have a food sensitivity or allergy.
You can repeat this and reintroduce foods until you determine what foods are most likely to cause allergic symptoms in your body. After doing this, you are best off avoiding these foods.
You can also consult with a qualified allergist and have a blood test conducted to find out what foods you are most likely to be allergic to.
True food allergies may not show up in a blood test given to children before they are one or two years old, but most adults can benefit from them immediately.
Did you know? More than 50% of the population has some form of allergy; more than half of these don’t even know it!
It’s called the, “Suffer in Silence” sickness. Perhaps you have unusual skin problems, and are uncertain as to the cause. You may have trouble sleeping for example, and assume the cause of your problem is stress, not the food you ate just a few short hours ago.
Maybe you have been ailing for some time, but can’t determine the reason why. If you are experiencing any type of problem you can’t find a logical answer for, consider having your doctor examine you for food allergies. Not surprisingly, they are one of the most common, yet “unknown” causes for many chronic ailments. Imagine how nice your life might be if all you had to do to feel better was make a quick change or two in your diet?
