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Why You Should Have Food Allergy Testing

Why you should have food allergy testing

Depending on whether you’re male or female and how old you are, there are several health-related tests that are recommended to help ensure that you’re in the best physical shape possible. For instance, there are blood tests that should be conducted annually once you’re an adult to make sure your cholesterol levels are on par. Additionally, colonoscopies are suggested regularly over the age of 50 to confirm the health of your lower intestines, lowering your risk of cancer in that area of your body. Well, there is one other test that you should have and it is a food allergy test. Why?

When you have food allergies and aren’t aware of them, it can greatly lower your quality of life…if not threaten it completely. At a minimum, a mild allergic reaction to a certain food can cause intestinal distress, make you cough, and cause you to itch. And if your allergy is strong enough, you could face anaphylaxis, which is when your throat starts to close and you run the risk of stopping breathing, especially if you don’t seek medical attention immediately.

Some of the most common food-related allergens include milk, eggs, nuts, soy, and shellfish. However, you can be allergic to most anything, with some allergies appearing over time. In other words, even though your body may tolerate a specific food today, that doesn’t mean that you won’t develop an allergy to it tomorrow.

Testing is fairly simple too as most food allergens can be found with a simple blood test. However, you can also potentially identify problem foods by how your body responds after eating them. For example, if you notice that you get itchy after eating chocolate or have a hard time breathing after consuming pine nuts, then you might want to avoid these types of foods …even before confirming your allergy via a test. It just may save your life if you do.