How would you react if I told you that some of the foods you eat could cause you pain? Most people would have varied reactions to that. Some may avoid eating such foods completely, while others may still doubt. Food sensitivity is out of your control, and once it is there, the only option is to find out how to manage it. One of the management measures is to take food sensitivity testing and avoid eating the specific food completely.
You may develop food sensitivity to one of your most favorite foods. The only way to detect such a problem is when you start to develop symptoms in your body. Without symptoms, it may not be easy to detect sensitivity to some foods.
Some of the symptoms may include;
- Vomiting
- Body itching
- Swollen skin and eyes
- Rashes
When Should You See A Doctor?
Once you have detected such symptoms immediately after eating a specific food, the first step is to seek immediate medical attention. The preferred method in this situation is a food sensitivity test. That is a test carried out to investigate the type of food you are sensitive to and whether it is food sensitivity or allergies.
There are several diseases with the same symptoms as food sensitivity. You are, therefore, not required to rush in for a drug or conclusion before finding out the cause of the problem. With that, you may use a prescription for the wrong purpose, which can be harmful to your health.
Food sensitivity has affected the living standards of many people. That is because it is a serious problem that may be fatal if not handled with immediate attention. The reactions caused by food sensitivity may be mild or severe. That is why the test should be carried early enough to prevent the symptoms from reaching an advanced stage.
Understanding Food Intolerances and Reactions
The best thing to understand is to know how your body reacts to different types of foods. For people with health problems, it may be challenging to detect any symptom that may have been caused by eating certain foods. That is because you may have a disease with the same symptoms as food sensitivity, making it difficult to know the cause of the problem. The symptoms sometimes may also not be immediate but can take some time before they manifest themselves.
If you have health problems, it usually requires you to be alert. That is when you will be able to detect any unusual symptoms after eating a particular food. Ignoring such signs may lead to severe problems. Also, understand your body and how it functions so that any abnormal reactions of the body can be easily detected.
What Types of Tests are Available?
There are several tests available, and some may be more important than others. You can be recommended to try different tests depending on the type of sensitivity you have. Also, the tests are recommended depending on the symptoms. This article breaks down the various tests available for food sensitivity, as explained below.
Food Avoidance Test
This test involves taking into account the type of foods you eat and notifying your health professional if you are reactive to any of them or not. If yes, then you can avoid the one you are affected by to see how you feel. The only problem with this test is that some foods do not show immediate reactions in your body. That can force you to wait a while before you can conclude whether you are sensitive to the tested foods or not. This type of test is easy to carry out but is not sustainable for your overall health.
Elimination and Reintroduction Diets
This test involves eliminating many foods from your diet and then adding them back in a controlled amount. This method makes it easy to detect whether a particular food is causing a reaction or not based on its reintroduction. The most preferred way of carrying out this test is by taking ten days eating nothing but rice and reintroducing in one food every three days to watch out for the symptoms that may have developed.
As everything that has an advantage must also have its disadvantages, this test also has its drawbacks. The first one is that it is slow and may take long before you detect the symptoms for all the foods in your reintroduction list. Another disadvantage is that your digestive system may have problems digesting a long list of foods, especially if you are used to a limited diet.
Skin Test
This test is commonly used to detect airborne allergens. The only challenge with this test is that it may show some of the most severe food intolerances. These reactions are also sudden and can scare people from going for the test.
EAV Tests
These are tests that are carried out to measure how resistant the skin is to electric current. It is called galvanic skin response. The only thing that can affect this test is how much you are sweating. When you sweat a lot, that is, when your skin pores are open, your skin conducts more electricity.
Importance of a Food Sensitivity Test
Testing for food sensitivity is important for developing good eating habits. The tests will guide you on which foods to eliminate from your diet and how to eliminate them.
Without a food sensitivity test, you will probably be guessing which food among the many you eat could be the cause of your problem, which is not recommended. This is because you may eliminate foods that do not cause a negative reaction.
Food sensitivity symptoms usually do not appear at once or immediately after you have eaten or taken a sip of a drink. The symptoms may take some time before they occur. Some may take days or even weeks after consumption. By that time, you shall have taken a long list of foods; which may have caused you a lot of confusion about the food affecting you. A food sensitivity test will indicate a large number of food and drinks that are causing you problems.
Conclusion
It is always important to carry out a food sensitivity test early enough before the symptoms become severe. From the list of tests mentioned above, you can choose one that best suits you.
