Allergy Testing

Allergy testing helps identify how your immune system responds to certain substances and foods that may be causing symptoms. This test measures IgG and/or IgA antibodies, which are immune proteins involved in delayed food reactions. In some cases, testing may also involve blood tests that look at other immune markers related to allergy and sensitivity. The test typically involves a finger prick or blood draw to obtain a blood sample.

Test Results

Once collected, the blood is sent to the lab for analysis, and your naturopathic doctor will receive your test results within 2–3 weeks. You will then be contacted to book a follow-up visit to review your results and determine next steps.

Food Allergy Vs. Food Intolerance

Food allergies are immune-based conditions that can cause immediate and sometimes severe allergic reactions. Symptoms may include breathing difficulties, skin reactions such as hives, digestive distress, swelling, or anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening, severe allergic reaction requiring emergency care.

Food intolerances and sensitivities are different. They are not life-threatening and typically result in delayed reactions that may contribute to ongoing health concerns. These reactions can involve digestive symptoms or immune responses that appear hours or even several days after eating certain foods.

Food Intolerance Vs. Food Sensitivity

Food intolerances are digestive in origin and typically refer to the inability of the body to break down a particular food. Food intolerance symptoms often include abdominal cramping, bloating, and diarrhea, although symptoms can become more diverse and serious if the overall health of the gastrointestinal system deteriorates from regular consumption of the offending foods. A well-known example of food intolerance is lactose intolerance, where digestion of milk sugar in dairy is impaired.

Food sensitivities are immune reactions that trigger delayed reactions in the body. Symptoms take hours or days to develop, making it difficult to determine the culprit food. With food sensitivities, symptoms are incredibly individual and each person will manifest them differently. However, common food sensitivity symptoms may include fatigue, digestive disturbances, chronic skin rashes, weight gain, headaches, joint pain, mood and memory disturbances, and behavioural problems.

What happens if you test positive?

If you test positive for any food, taking those reactive foods out of your diet for 3 months is recommended. Detailed handouts are given on alternatives to your food sensitivities to ensure that proper nutrition is maintained.

Over time, it is common that the foods that a person was once sensitive to become less reactive. At the 3 month mark, reintroduction of these foods will determine whether or not you will need to continue avoiding them, or are able to eat these foods in small amounts. This is different from a food allergy, where the offending food will have to be avoided long term (sometimes indefinitely).

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut. The immune reaction caused by consuming gluten-containing foods produces significant inflammation, damaging the small intestine and leading to malabsorption of nutrients. Common signs and symptoms of celiac disease include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, anemia, and weight loss. However, some individuals do not experience these classical symptoms, and may instead have loss of dental enamel, loss of bone density, headaches and fatigue, joint pain, numbness and tingling, an itchy blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), or additional autoimmune disorders. In children, malabsorption from celiac disease can affect growth and development.

Your naturopathic doctor or family doctor can test you for celiac disease. The blood test ordered is called tissue transglutaminase (tTG). If you have a positive tTG test, your doctor may refer you for a small intestinal biopsy to confirm the disease. The management of celiac disease involves strict life-long avoidance of gluten, and nutritional supplementation to heal the damaged intestinal lining.

Common allergy symptoms