What should you know about tests to determine food allergies?

Testing can identify sensitisation to selected foods. A positive result does not prove that the food caused your symptoms, and a negative result does not explain every digestive or skin complaint. Your clinician considers what you ate, the amount, how soon symptoms began, how long they lasted and whether the reaction happened again. Food allergy differs from intolerance and can involve skin, breathing, gut or circulation symptoms.

Write down suspected foods, ingredients, timing and symptoms before your appointment. Do not test a suspected food at home after a serious reaction. Avoiding a food should be discussed with a clinician so labels, substitutes and nutritional needs are covered. Depending on symptoms, assessment may relate to Food Allergy, Allergic Rhinitis or Asthma.

Call emergency services for breathing difficulty, wheezing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, confusion, or rapidly spreading hives after eating. These may signal Anaphylaxis and need immediate treatment. Arrange medical review for repeated reactions, reactions to small amounts, or symptoms that interfere with normal meals.

Which foods should be tested based on my history? Is skin or blood testing more suitable? Should I avoid the food while waiting? What emergency plan should my household know?