Food intolerances and food allergies are terms often confused with one another. Classic food allergies cause anaphylactic reactions like hives, swelling, difficulty breathing, or in severe cases death. They are mostly associated with peanuts, shellfish, strawberries, etc., and people usually realize right away what triggered their reaction. Food intolerances, or sensitivities, on the other hand are more difficult to diagnose and many people are unaware they have them because they tend to cause delayed reactions. The most common reactions to food intolerances are migraines/headaches, chronic digestive disturbances, eczema and other skin conditions, chronic ear or throat infections, and joint pain. The range of symptoms from food allergies can be from mild conditions to life threatening conditions whereas food intolerance symptoms are usually chronic and less severe. Determining if what you are eating is causing your ill health can change your level of wellness significantly, and food intolerance testing is the surefire was to get the diagnosis you need to start feeling well again.
Misdiagnosed
Understanding the symptoms of food allergies can help you to understand how easily you might be misdiagnosed. Often food intolerances are masked by their symptoms. You might want to run an IGG food intolerance panel if you experience:
- Frequent headaches or migraines
- Stomach upset or intestinal upset – IBS, colitis, etc.
- Skins problems like eczema
- Chronic ear infections, sinusitis, or tonsillitis
- Joint pain
All of these symptoms, and others as well, might be caused or aggravated by foods, and getting to the root cause of these problems can make an enormous difference.
Get Tested
If you have been dealing with these symptoms or a chronic condition that you and your doctor can’t figure out, getting tested for food intolerances may put an end to your mystery. Testing for classic food allergies with an anaphylactic reaction is done by food allergy testing in Seattle IgE antibodies and is what most conventional physicians or allergists will test. Testing for the food intolerances that can cause a wide array of symptoms is done by testing for IgG antibodies, and many physicians don’t do this testing. Naturopathic physicians often do. Make an appointment at Seattle Naturopathy & Acupuncture Center and find out if what you are eating is causing your health concerns.