Food Allergies: Are You Avoiding Favorite Foods for No Good Reason?

Living with food allergies can be dangerous, and at the very least a hassle, particularly if you’re living your entire life around the avoidance of foods you aren’t actually allergic to. How can you know for sure if you actually suffer from food allergies or if you’re complicating your life unnecessarily? Your local Arizona asthma & allergy clinic can help…
Why you may not have allergies
Research shows that of the 20% of individuals who claim to suffer food allergies, only 3-4% are actually affected. Why the discrepancy? Many of these individuals have food intolerances and other health issues, and have never received food allergy tests from a trained Scottsdale Asthma & Allergy Clinic specialist able to make them aware of the distinction.


Allergy vs intolerance: What’s the difference?

• Food intolerances
  Intolerances become more common with age. They occur in the digestive system, where foods that cannot be properly broken down result in symptoms such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Common culprits includes sugars found in dairy (lactose), and also fructose from fruit, veggies, honey, and some fruit drinks and soft drinks. Food intolerances can also result in headaches, such as is the case with chocolate, cheese, and wine.
  
  
• Food allergies
  Food allergies result from the body’s abnormal response to a food, occurring within minutes to hours of contact with the offending substance. Symptoms may also include gas, bloating, and diarrhea, as well as runny/itchy nose, congestion, sneezing, coughing, and wheezing; skin itching, swelling, or hives; and in severe cases anaphylaxis. Some allergies are outgrown over time, while others (nut, fish, and shellfish) persist throughout life.
  
  

Know before you say “no”
Food allergies can be diagnosed by an allergy specialist. Diagnosis should include a detailed medical history, physical exam, food allergy tests, food journaling, and to confirm results, a placebo-controlled food challenge in the doctor’s office.
Don’t needlessly avoid your favorite foods. Find out the facts with the help of a Scottsdale Asthma & Allergy Clinic specialist near you today!

Why’s an Asthma Specialist so Special?

Family physicians and general practitioners are great for handling day-to-day health issues. But oxygen deficiency resulting from asthma symptoms can be serious business. That’s where a great asthma specialist can help. What makes them “special”? An asthma doctor is trained specially for taking care of patients dealing with asthma.

How much training does an asthma specialist have?
Your local Phoenix Allergy & Asthma Clinic asthma specialist has received a minimum of 9 years of training, as well as an additional two year fellowship focused on either allergic or lung diseases. Types of doctors that treat asthma include:

• Allergists/Immunologists
  Treat allergic diseases, including asthma.
  
• Pulmonologists
  Specialize in diseases effecting the lungs.

Why so much training?
Because asthma is serious business. It cannot be managed with a simple prescription such as with colds, flus, aches and pains. Asthma is a chronic disease, requiring constant monitoring and attention for effective management and prevention of dangerous asthma attacks.

What are the benefits of seeing an asthma specialist?

• Better management of symptoms.
• Reduced absences from work/school due to asthma symptoms.
• Less emergency room visits.
• Improved quality of life.

Do I need an asthma specialist?
If you’ve been trying to manage asthma for months without relief of symptoms, an asthma specialist may be better able to help you keep the condition under control. An asthma specialist is an especially good idea if you:

• Have been hospitalized for asthma symptoms due to the inability to control them.
• Have experienced life-threatening asthma attacks.
• Are suffering unusual asthma symptoms.
• Experience allergy-induced asthma symptoms.
• Have other health conditions.

Ready to start breathing easier? Find an asthma specialist near you today.