Food allergy guidelines needed for children

Do you suffer from any food allergies? Food allergies are very serious and if left undiagnosed they can cause other health problems down the road. If a person consumes a food that they are allergic to then they can suffer from an anaphylactic reaction that can be deadly. One group that is known for having the most undiagnosed cases of food allergies is children. Ninety percent of food allergies are caused by the following food items: peanuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, and shellfish.

A new study has found that there need to be more guidelines in place for diagnosing food allergies. Currently, some children are being over diagnosed with food allergies which can be uncomfortable for the child. Currently, doctors and pediatrician use skin and prick tests to diagnose children with food allergies. Some doctors say that the food challenge would be much more helpful but because it takes too long and can cause anaphylactic reactions most physicians do not do this form of testing any more. Doctor Todd Green, MD stated that the skin and prick tests that are done should not be the only guideline to diagnose food allergies. He stated that the child’s history, family medical history, and the results of a physical examination in conjunction with the tests can help to get a better picture of a child’s allergies. In the future, hopefully the guidelines will be corrected so that so many children are not being subjected to allergy treatments and medications that are unnecessary.