Since allergies and sensitivities create a myriad of different symptoms it can often be difficult to diagnose and treat them. There are several different types of diagnosing allergy from the standard scratch test to blood and saliva testing all the way to the alternative muscle testing version. You and your knowledge of how your body works and how you react to things can be the best initial diagnostic tool available.

The scratch test uses tiny amounts of allergens placed just under the skin along with a control of histamine. It is a multiple allergen test which is marked on a chart. After waiting awhile the areas that react are marked against the chart and those are considered to be your personal allergens. In recent years this test has been shown to have or even create problems with certain susceptible individuals. Apparently some people have very delayed reactions (4-24 hours) to the allergens, they don’t show up as the panel but have a systemic reaction causing muscle pain, swelling, weakness, lymph swelling and more. In these people the test can cause a toxicity that can take 6 months to recover from.

To use the blood tests an amount of blood is taken and then exposed to a variety of allergens. In the presence of a positive reaction the blood sample reacts to the allergen and tells the doctor what you are sensitive to. The saliva test performs in generally the same way. Unfortunately in regards to food allergies these tests are less than perfect. Food changes chemical properties during the digestive process, because of this the antibodies related to allergies don’t necessarily show up in blood or saliva testing.

Much of the diagnostic wisdom has to come from you. There are a number of ways to track your own symptoms and determine whether or not you are allergic to specific items. For food allergies it is best to keep a complete food diary. Write down what you eat, how much and when and include mood information as well as symptoms like; headaches, muscle aches, sneezing, coughing etc. After about 2 weeks you should have a fairly complete picture of what you eat and how it makes you react. If this isn’t satisfactory do an elimination diet and then reintroduce items back into your diet this should show you what you are most allergic to.

If you suddenly have symptoms like redness and itching check into new chemical exposure, if you have you changed shampoo, laundry detergent, soap or dish soap lately this could be the problem. Go back to the old one and see if the symptoms go away. If you have come down with what you thought was a cold with runny nose, itchy eyes and a cough, but the symptoms are continuing beyond 2 weeks you probably have an allergy. Check into what plants are on the allergy index for your area, they might be the culprit. Do you get wheezy and out of breath or get an itchy throat or tongue after eating something? You might be allergic to it especially if it is shellfish, tree nuts, tomatoes or something similar. Pay attention to your symptoms and let the doctor know what you think is happening.