Diagnosing Food Allergies
All about prick tests, RAST tests, elimination diets, and other diagnostic tests for food allergies.
How Can I Interpret the Numbers on my RAST Test Results? What Do They Mean?
How can I interpret the numbers on my RAST test results?
How can I interpret the numbers on my RAST test results?
When Should I Go To the Doctor for Food Allergy Symptoms?
Worried about possible food allergy symptoms? Here's when you should go to the doctor for suspected food allergies.
Worried about possible food allergy symptoms? Here's when you should go to the doctor for suspected food allergies.
Is It Really a Food Allergy?
People often get sick after eating and diagnose themselves with a food allergy. That's part of why more than 20% of Americans believe they have a food allergy when really only an estimated 2.5% actually do.
Why the discrepancy? Not all adverse reactions to food are due to allergies. Read on to learn about some of the conditions that can mimic food allergies. Then, find out more a…
Five Tools for Diagnosing Food Intolerances
Not all adverse reactions to food are true allergies -- that is, IgE-mediated reactions in the immune system. Some are food intolerances or sensitivities, and these can be tr…
Top 6 Methods for Diagnosing Food Allergies
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may diagnose your allergies using one or more of a number of tools. Here are six methods your doctor is likely to use to conclusively determine which foods are causing your allergic symptoms.
Depending on your symptoms, your doctor may diagnose your allergies using one or more of a number of tools. Here are six methods your doctor is likely to use to conclusively determine which foods are causing your allergic symptoms.
Keep a Food Log
A food log, or food diary, can be an effective tool for diagnosing food intolerances or allergies. Learn how to keep a food log here.
A food log, or food diary, can be an effective tool for diagnosing food intolerances or allergies. Learn how to keep a food log here.
RAST Test
A RAST test, or radioallergosorbent test, is a type of blood test used to diagnose allergies. Learn how a RAST test works and what to expect at the doctor's office.
A RAST test, or radioallergosorbent test, is a type of blood test used to diagnose allergies. Learn how a RAST test works and what to expect at the doctor's office.
Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Food Challenge
The gold standard for allergy diagnosis is the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge, a form of oral food challenge. Find out how double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges work and why your doctor might recommend this test.
The gold standard for allergy diagnosis is the double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge, a form of oral food challenge. Find out how double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges work and why your doctor might recommend this test.
Elimination Diets -- Exclusion Diets
All about elimination diets (exclusion diets): how exclusion diets are used to diagnose allergies, how elimination diets work, and different types of elimination diets (like few foods diets and rare foods diets).
All about elimination diets (exclusion diets): how exclusion diets are used to diagnose allergies, how elimination diets work, and different types of elimination diets (like few foods diets and rare foods diets).
Diagnosis of Food Allergies
Six tools your doctor is likely to use to diagnose food allergies --- skin testing, elimination diets, and more.
Six tools your doctor is likely to use to diagnose food allergies --- skin testing, elimination diets, and more.
Prick Tests
Describes the method and purpose of a prick test or scratch test. A prick test is often used by allergists when a patient has clear allergy symptoms but is not certain which food is causing those symptoms (or whether the symptoms are caused by a food at all). They are often used when patients have hives, eczema, or hay fever symptoms.
Describes the method and purpose of a prick test or scratch test. A prick test is often used by allergists when a patient has clear allergy symptoms but is not certain which food is causing those symptoms (or whether the symptoms are caused by a food at all). They are often used when patients have hives, eczema, or hay fever symptoms.
Food Allergy Screening Quiz
Allergy symptom screening quiz from About.com's pediatrics guide.
Allergy symptom screening quiz from About.com's pediatrics guide.
Tips to Remember: What Is Allergy Testing?
Fact sheet about allergy testing --- what to expect at the allergist and a synopsis of different types of tests. From the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Fact sheet about allergy testing --- what to expect at the allergist and a synopsis of different types of tests. From the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
Allergy Skin Tests
Information from the Mayo Clinic about what to expect from a prick test. Includes a video.
Information from the Mayo Clinic about what to expect from a prick test. Includes a video.
Elimination Diets
Basic information on Elimination Diets from the Cleveland Clinic.
Basic information on Elimination Diets from the Cleveland Clinic.
Tracking Down Food Allergies
Primer on food allergies and their diagnosis. Includes a good how-to on elimination diets.
Primer on food allergies and their diagnosis. Includes a good how-to on elimination diets.