> Diagnosing Food Allergies

Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Other Forms of Eosinophilic Enteropathy
Learn the basics about eosinophilic esophagitis and other forms of eosinophilic enteropathy: signs, symptoms, what to expect at the doctor's office, and resources for coping with restricted diets.

Eczema and Food Allergies
Can food allergies affect eczema? Find out about eczema, food allergies, and what to expect at your doctor's office.

Asthma and Food Allergies
The link between asthma and food allergies, and what patients with asthma or food allergies can do to keep both conditions well-controlled.

Hives (Urticaria) and Food Allergies
Hives are a common food allergy symptom. Learn how to recognize hives, common causes of hives, and when to call a doctor.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Diagnosis of Food Allergies
Six tools your doctor is likely to use to diagnose food allergies --- skin testing, elimination diets, and more.

Food Allergy Symptoms
Do you know the signs and symptoms of a food allergy? From hives to eczema, learn about six major symptoms of food allergies here.

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.

Food Allergy Screening Quiz
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.

Allergy Skin Tests
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.

Tracking Down Food Allergies
Primer on food allergies and their diagnosis. Includes a good how-to on elimination diets.