 |  |
 | |
Southwest Allergy & Asthma Center
Locations:
Plano
6100 Windcom Court,
Suite 101
Plano, Texas 75093
Serving: Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Carrollton, Richardson, Lewisville, Garland, Dallas, The Colony, Addison, Coppell, Little Elm, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett
(972) 398 - 3500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:
Denison
In the Texoma Medical Plaza adjacent to the new Texoma Medical Center
5012 South US HWY 75,
Suite 150
Denison, Texas 75020
Serving: Denison, Sherman, Bonham, Gainesville, Pottsboro, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Prosper, Durant (OK) and Madill (OK)
(903) 463 - 8400Telephone:
(903) 463 - 8500FAX:
McKinney
7785 Eldorado Pkwy,
Suite 500
McKinney, Texas 75070
Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett
(972) 542 - 0500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:
Allen
In Twin Creeks Medical Center Two
1101 Raintree Cir,
Suite 140
Allen, Texas 75013
Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett
(469) 656 - 1057Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:
Frisco
12950 Dallas Pkwy,
Suite 700
Frisco, Texas 75033
Serving: McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Sachse, Murphy, Wylie, Rockwall, Lucas and Rowlett
(972) 569 - 8500Telephone:
(972) 398 - 3512FAX:
 | Going Green to help you breathe easier! |
Diagnosis of Food Allergy
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is an abnormal immune reaction to the proteins found in a particular food.
Is food allergy common?
Approximately 6% of children and 3.7% of adults have a food allergy, so they are very common.
How is food allergy diagnosed?
History is very important in making a diagnosis of food allergy. Your physician will want to know what foods may have triggered reactions, what the symptoms were, how long it took for the reaction to occur after eating the food, and how long the reactions lasted. He or she may also want to know what medications were used to treat the reaction and whether they helped. The physician will also want to know if the reaction occurs every time a food is consumed.
Once the history has been reviewed, your physician may use blood tests or skin tests to confirm whether you or your child has a food allergy. Because these types of tests can sometimes have false results, they must always be interpreted with the patient’s history in mind. When considering which type of test to perform, your doctor will consider the age of the patient, the medications the patient has taken recently, and previous test results.
Is retesting necessary?
Patients with food allergies may need to be retested periodically to see if their allergy has gone away. This is often done every 1-2 years in the case of childhood food allergies which often resolve by school age. It is less useful to recheck tests in older children and adults with food allergies as their allergies are more likely to be lifelong.
If my food allergy tests are negative can I reintroduce the food?
If you have a history of allergy to a particular food, you should discuss with your physician how and when to reintroduce the food to the diet. If your physician believes that a food allergy has resolved, he or she may reintroduce the food in the office depending on the severity of past reactions.