Food Allergen Testing Market and The Methods

Certain people know precisely what foods lead to negative reactions. As an example, they may eat peanuts or peanut-containing products and quickly develop a rash. On the other hand, some individuals might need medical assistance to uncover the cause. The symptoms can sometimes arise hours after eating the offending food. That makes it challenging to determine the source.

Thankfully, experts have received specialized training with enables them to professionally test and diagnose this. It is along with knowledge of the food allergen testing market.

Avoidance Diet

Avoidance diet can be one of the approaches in the Food Allergen Testing Market. The physician may help pinpoint the foods responsible for your reaction by putting you on a specific diet. You might need to keep a food diary daily that details all the foods you consume. It can also include any medications you have taken and your symptoms each day.

When only one and two specific foods appear to cause the reactions, you can attempt to avoid them entirely. This entails not consuming the suspected food for a period of one or two weeks. If your symptoms diminish during this time but return when you consume the food again it is probable that this food is responsible for your reaction.

The decision about which foods to avoid and when to reintroduce them should be made in consultation with your physician. It is crucial never to consume even a tiny amount of any food identified by your physician as potentially causing anaphylaxis.

The Methods

The food allergen testing market size is growing rapidly and there are several methods involved. When conducted properly and analyzed by a board-certified physician, skin and blood tests are dependable and can confirm or exclude food allergies.

The physician will review the test outcomes and utilize them in the diagnostic process. Even though both testing methods can indicate a potential food allergy, they are not foolproof. A positive test for a certain food doesn’t guarantee that the patient will experience a reaction upon ingestion.

1. Skin testing

Skin tests are performed in a doctor’s office and yield results in fifteen to thirty minutes. A physician or nurse conducts these tests by pricking the patient’s back or arm with a tiny and sterile tool that contains a minute quantity of the food sample. These tests are generally not painful yet can lead to discomfort particularly an itchy sensation. They are considered positive when a wheal which resembles a bump from a mosquito bite develops at the area tested.

1. Blood testing

These are generally not as sensitive as skin tests. They quantify the level of IgE antibody present for the particular food under investigation. Results are usually ready within one or two weeks and are expressed numerically.

1. Oral challenge

Another method in the food allergen testing market is by oral challenge. Your physician may propose an oral challenge to confirm your test results. This method is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosing food allergies. Due to its cost and potential dangers, it is not performed routinely.

In an oral method, the patient is given progressively larger portions of the suspected food over time. All while being closely under supervision by a physician. It is essential to have emergency medication and equipment available during this process.