Is this a food allergy, a food sensitivity, or a food intolerance?
There are an increasing number of people who believe they have a food allergy. Upset stomach? Must be a food allergy. A new skin rash? Must be a food allergy. This is a pretty common misconception. Sometimes, the digestive symptoms people attribute specific ingredients, such as gluten or dairy, are not caused by an allergy at all. So, how can you really know if you have a genuine food allergy or a food intolerance or just a food sensitivity? Let's explore in more detail.
What's the Difference Between a Food Allergy, Food Sensitivity & a Food Intolerance?
The key difference between a food allergy and food intolerance or sensitivity is the body's response. When you have a food allergy, your immune system causes a reaction, resulting in uncomfortable or even harmful symptoms.?
If you have a food intolerance or sensitivity, in contrast, the body's reaction is triggered by the digestive system. Food intolerances and sensitivities, though different from each other, are far more common than food allergies.
Food Allergy Symptoms
If you have a food allergy, when an allergy-causing food is consumed, your body launches a range of protective measures, including releasing chemicals like histamine, which causes?inflammation. For some people, it only takes a very slight or minimal amount of contact with the food to trigger a response.?Some of the most common allergy-triggering foods include seafood, peanuts, soy, dairy, tree nuts, eggs, and wheat.
Food allergy symptoms?can occur within minutes or take several hours. Symptoms to watch for can include swelling of the tongue, mouth, or face, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, or an itchy rash. In more severe cases, a food allergy can cause?anaphylaxis. Some symptoms may subside on their own, but others require medical attention and can even be fatal.
Food Sensitivity Symptoms
Food sensitivities can have many causes, including reactions to additives in food, such as MSG and artificial colors. Other causes can be pharmacological factors, such as sensitivity to chemicals like caffeine. The natural sugars in foods like fruit or vegetables can also trigger sensitivities for some people.
If you have a food sensitivity or intolerance, you may experience symptoms?such as gas, stomach pain, or a runny nose. While much less life-threatening than swelling or anaphylaxis, these symptoms are nevertheless very uncomfortable.?
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Food Intolerance Symptoms
How to Alleviate Food-Allergy and Food-Intolerance Symptoms
Even if you don't have a full-blown food allergy, a food intolerance can cause many unpleasant symptoms. To start finding relief, the most important step is working out which foods are causing you problems.?P23Labs can help you take steps to alleviate any symptoms you may be experiencing by administering a food sensitivity test.?
The food sensitivity test involves a small prick on the?finger to draw a tiny blood sample. This sample is then sent to our Molecular Diagnostics lab, where our experts analyze it to determine?whether you have any food- and antigen-specific IgA, IgG, IgM IgE, and IgG4 antibodies.?
The presence of these antibodies allows us to determine whether your body's immune system is responding to foods from a variety of groups, including dairy, grains/legumes/nuts, vegetables, eggs/meat, fruit, herbs/spices, and fish/crustaceans/mollusks. By helping you identify the foods you can safely and comfortably consume and those you need to avoid, we will help you to eat and drink with confidence again.?
Ready to regain your enjoyment of food? Start by taking our food sensitivity test at-home today.?Our food intolerance test involves a simple saliva sample and you can expect your personalized results in your own online portal within 2-4 weeks. It really is just that easy!