If your body is sensitive to certain foods, you need to know for sure – and that’s where food intolerance testing comes in. This guide explains.
Food Intolerance Testing in Ann Arbor
Food intolerance testing can help you determine which foods are giving you problems and which ones you can keep eating. The fact is that food intolerance can lead to several problems – not the least of which is discomfort. It can even lead to weight gain (and an inability to lose stubborn pounds) and a variety of other issues.
What Does Food Intolerance Do to Your Body?
Food intolerance is what happens when your body has a hard time digesting certain foods. Because it can’t digest these foods, it can’t convert those foods into energy – and you may be simply eating foods that are no good for you.
Sometimes food intolerance is caused by a lack of digestive enzymes. These enzymes break down food molecules so that your blood can absorb them – but if you don’t have enough of them (or any of them, for that matter), the proteins from the food can build up in your gut. Then, they’ll make their way into your bloodstream… but not in the forms you need. Your body identifies the proteins as something that doesn’t belong, and then your immune system attacks them. As a result, you can experience the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Migraines and everyday headaches
- Chronic pain
- Achy joints
- Acid reflux
- Bloating, gas and diarrhea
- Brain fog
- Eczema, acne and other skin conditions
- Food cravings
- Irritability
- Memory loss
- Mental health conditions, such as depression
- Mood swings
Nobody wants any of those – but if you’re experiencing one or more of those symptoms, it’s worth getting tested for food intolerance by an Ann Arbor doctor.
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How Does Food Intolerance Testing Work?
Food intolerance testing generally checks how your immune system responds to different types of food. There are several ways a doctor can choose to test you for food intolerance, including a skin prick test. In a skin prick test, a small amount of the suspected food is placed on your forearm or back; the doctor then pricks your skin with a needle (it’s very small – don’t worry!) to allow a very tiny amount of the substance to get beneath your skin. Then, the doctor will evaluate the area to see how your immune system reacts.
You may also need blood testing, which requires your doctor to take a small amount of blood and send it to a medical laboratory. The laboratory will determine how your immunoglobulin E (IgE) reacts to different food substances.
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Sometimes people choose elimination diets, as well. Elimination diets enable you to choose not to eat some foods for a week or two; then, you add them back into your diet over time. When you notice symptoms returning, you can connect the dots between the food and your symptoms. Elimination diets can be a useful tool, but they’re not perfect – they can’t tell you whether you have a food allergy or a food sensitivity, and they’re not safe if you’ve had a bad reaction to a certain food in the past.
How to Know if Food Intolerance Testing is Right for You
The best way to find out whether food intolerance testing is a good choice for you is to consult with an expert in Ann Arbor. Your doctor will let you know what you can do to find out whether you’re sensitive to certain foods – and what you can do once you have definitive answers.
Ready to Talk About Food Intolerance Testing in Ann Arbor?
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