What should you know about food intolerance screening?

Screening usually begins by asking what you ate, how much you ate, when symptoms started, and whether the pattern repeats. The clinician may ask about medicines, bowel habits, previous illness, and family history. This context helps decide whether food intolerance is a reasonable explanation.

The symptoms may include bloating, abdominal discomfort, or diarrhoea, but these symptoms are not specific to one condition. Depending on the history, testing may be considered, or another explanation may need attention first.

For several days, write down meals, drinks, ingredients when known, symptoms, bowel changes, and any medicine taken for relief. Keep eating normally unless a clinician tells you otherwise; changing your diet just before an assessment can make the pattern harder to interpret.

Ask what the proposed test can detect and what it cannot. Avoid commercial panels or extensive food restriction without professional advice. A planned food review can be more useful than a long list of foods to avoid, and nutrition counselling can support a balanced approach.

Arrange a routine appointment if symptoms persist, recur after meals, or cause you to limit your diet. Get urgent help for difficulty breathing, swelling of the mouth or throat, faintness, blood in stool, severe dehydration, or rapidly worsening abdominal pain. Screening is not a substitute for urgent assessment.

Ask which causes should be considered, whether you should continue eating the suspected food before testing, how results will be interpreted, and when to review the plan if symptoms continue.