How do special diets help pinpoint the problem?
With the information gained from a patient’s history, physical exam and testing, an allergist may further narrow down the suspected foods by placing the patient on a special diet. If symptoms occur only occasionally, the culprit is likely a food that is eaten infrequently. The allergist-immunologist may ask individuals to keep a daily food diary listing all food and medication ingested, along with symptoms for the day. By reviewing and comparing “good days” with “bad days,” the patient and allergist may be able to determine which food is causing the reaction. If only one or two foods seem to be causing allergic reactions, it may be necessary for the patient to go on a food elimination diet. The suspect food must be completely eliminated in any form for a short time – one to two weeks. If the allergic symptoms subside during abstinence and flare up when the food is ingested again, the likelihood of identifying the problem food can be increased. If several foods appear to cause problems
