New rules for food allergy testing
LOS ANGELES - People with suspected food allergies may need to submit to an oral food challenge - ingesting the food in a doctor's office while symptoms are assessed - in order to receive an accurate diagnosis, according to new guidelines issued Monday by a consortium of food allergy experts led by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Feel like you're allergic to almost everything?
I'm so allergic to perfume that I can't even go to a department store without suffering for days afterward.
Food Allergies in Babies
During the first year of life, babies may be allergic to cow's milk or soy protein present in infant formulas, and breast-fed babies may be allergic to the same protein in the mother's diet. Symptoms of milk allergies -- vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloody stools -- may develop within minutes or hours of food ingestion. But most gastrointestinal symptoms develop over the course of days and weeks. Of greatest concern are those babies with asthma who may have difficulty breathing due to swelling of the upper airway and may have an anaphylactic reaction. Milder reactions include eczema, hives, and skin rashes. Irritability and excessive crying, which mimic infantile colic are additional symptoms. If milk allergies persist, they may inhi ...
