Misdiagnosed Food Allergies and Global TV

My home page on my laptop is the NY Times Health section. So every morning I get to the clinic, make my green tea, and turn on my laptop to take a quick glance at the health headlines. (Yes I love routine!)

Yesterday I glanced at the following headline on a study that came out saying alot of food allergies are misdiagnosed: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/health/research/12allergies.html?ref=health

Funny enough Global did a story on it so came to the clinic to get a few thoughts:
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/index.html?categoryID=1051988478

Essentially I agreed with the story. I do find a lot of people come in and say they are allergic to milk or wheat or corn etc... however in reality these people probably have food intolerances or sensitivities. If a food allergy occurs, symptoms would be swollen lips, or itchy throat or lips, or a feeling of throat closing - an anaphylactic response. Food intolerances or sensitivities express themselves in a variety of ways that may include: heartburn, bloating, headaches, joint pain, etc.

Sometimes I will do a IgG Blood Spot test at the clinic to see what foods the person is reacting to, causing a food sensitivity. This just involves a quick finger prick test and 96 potential foods are tested. Alternately I will do a food challenge or elimination diet to see which foods may be causing a problem.