Oral Food Challenges: What It Is And Why You May Need It

If you suspect that you're allergic to something you've eaten, you should seek care from your doctor so you can determine what you're allergic to. In most cases, you will undergo a RAST test during which several, sometimes 40 or more, allergens are placed on your skin in order to gauge your reaction. However, you probably won't want to stop with this test because it can produce false positive results. For this reason, you will probably want to undergo an oral food challenge for any food allergens that the initial RAST test uncovers.  

Particulars of Oral Food Challenges

Oral food challenges are usually performed in an allergist's office. In this controlled setting, you will be asked to consume a food that is a suspected allergen for you. After consumption, the allergy specialist will document your allergic response or lack of it. In most cases, these tests are blind, meaning that you won't know if the food you eat contains the allergen or not. This is to prevent anxiety-driven responses that could alter the results of the test. 

Benefits of Oral Food Challenges

Being allergic to a certain food can severely limit your food choices, especially if what you're allergic to is a common ingredient in other foods. This is due to the fact that most food allergies are treated, in part, by avoiding the trigger food. An oral food challenge allows you to consume foods that you think you're allergic to in a controlled setting. If the findings prove that you are not allergic to the foods, you can incorporate them into your regular diet.

An oral food challenge may also reveal that you're only mildly allergic to certain foods or that some foods don't induce an allergic response if you eat them in small amounts. This knowledge may allow you to indulge in some of your favorite foods at least part of the time. Alternatively, the test will also reveal which foods you're severely allergic to, which will help you identify and avoid allergens that may be life threatening for you. 

RAST testing helps uncover food sensitivities and can identify allergens. However, it is not as reliable as an oral food challenge. For this reason, many allergy specialists won't diagnose a food allergy in the absence of a positive response witnessed during an oral food challenge. Therefore, this diagnostic procedure is a vital step in diagnosing a food allergy. Contact a local allergist, like Allergy Asthma & Immunology Center, for more information.