Adverse reactions to foods are a common reason that patients seek medical care. After thorough workup, many of these reactions are nonimmunologic in nature and thus classified as sensitivities or intolerances. However, a substantial portion of patients will ultimately be diagnosed with a food allergy.
A food allergy is an abnormal immune system response to a molecule in a food. In most cases, true food allergies have the potential to be life-threatening and require strict avoidance of the food and carrying an EpiPen in case of accidental exposures and systemic allergic reactions (anaphylaxis).
Regardless of the mechanism of the patient’s adverse reaction, avoidance of certain foods is the mainstay of managing these conditions. This can pose quite a challenge to patients as they navigate eating out at restaurants, traveling internationally, having family meals during holidays, or even trick-or-treating at Halloween. The mental health burden of always remaining vigilant to avoid certain foods, even in trace amounts, can be quite weighty for some patients. Thus, having an allergist evaluate a patient can help to alleviate some of these burdens by determining a patient’s future risk for life-threatening reactions and how diligent they need to be in avoiding their trigger foods.
The Allergists at Lexington Clinic are skilled in helping to differentiate between food allergies and other types of adverse reactions to foods and can create customized plans for each patient to help them have the best care possible when it comes to food reactions. If you are concerned that you may have a food allergy, make an appointment today and let us be a part of your team to navigate this complex area of life.
Alexander Patterson, MD
Dr. Patterson specializes in diagnosing and treating allergies, asthma, and immunologic disorders. His professional interests involve food allergy, rhinitis, urticaria, angioedema, drug allergy, and immunodeficiency in both adults and children.
Dr. Patterson is board-certified and has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating patients with Alpha Gal food allergy. If you would like to be evaluated for this condition, or any other allergy problem, make an appointment today.
Dr. Patterson can be reached at (859) 258-5244.
For help scheduling an appointment or to find the location closest to you, please call (859) 258-4362 or visit LexingtonClinic.com.
