FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTING

Food sensitivity is a common, often underdiagnosed condition responsible for many symptoms and even disease processes. It's important to understand the difference between a food sensitivity and a food allergy. Food allergies are caused by the release of IgE and occur with even the smallest exposure to the causative food, with symptoms like hives, rash, lip or tongue swelling, or difficulty breathing that can be life-threatening. Food sensitivities, in contrast, cause vaguer symptoms that build up over a lifetime of chronic exposure, often to favorite foods. Wheat and gluten are among the most common triggers, though there are hundreds of others, including additives such as colors, preservatives, and spices.

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Symptoms of food sensitivity may include migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, fatigue, inability to lose weight, joint pain, autoimmune conditions, interstitial cystitis, eczema, asthma, chronic fatigue, intestinal symptoms (gas, bloating, or constipation), chronic cough, and heartburn. Many patients with autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis are often prescribed medications with significant risks and side effects without meaningful improvement in how they feel.

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While dietary therapy isn't a cure for these conditions, most patients who make significant, guided changes to their lifestyle and diet notice real improvement. Food sensitivities can be addressed without specific blood tests through a strict elimination diet with detoxification support, or through blood testing (typically not covered by insurance). Once results are available, we refer patients to a dietitian specially trained in these conditions. Call or text our office at 903-957-0275 to learn more.