My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
If you have a strange skin rash that just won't go away, then it may be the result of an unknown food allergy. Many people think that allergic reactions consist of only sneezing and watery eyes or a full body of hives. Everyone doesn't react to allergens in the same way, and some develop skin conditions from them that are not in the form of hives. People can also develop allergic reactions suddenly to foods they have eaten for years with no problems in the past.
Types of Skin Rashes Caused by Allergens
Food allergies can trigger a variety of skin reactions, but two of the most common that people don't realize can caused by foods are eczema and acne.
Eczema is also called "atopic dermatitis." Many doctors treat it with topical steroids that only ease the symptoms temporarily or immunomodulators that have side effects.
Acne is something that many people have due to a variety of causes, so few suspect food allergies and just treat it with over-the-counter creams and other treatments that may or may not help temporarily.
Although both acne and eczema have a variety of causes, if you suffer from either one, then it is a good idea to find out if your skin problem is a result of a food allergy. If it is, then you can stop using treatments that only help the symptoms and eliminate the cause of the problem.
How to Find out if You Have a Food Allergy
There are a couple of ways to find out if an allergy is the cause of your skin problem. One way is to go on an elimination diet where you remove all common allergy-causing foods from your diet. These foods include dairy products, eggs, wheat, and several others. You then add them back into your diet one by one and record what reaction each has on you and your skin.
Although this can be a successful way to find out what food is triggering your skin condition, it does take some time and willpower to stick to the diet. Also, if your allergy trigger food is not in the group of foods you eliminate and is a more rare allergy, then the outcome may not be successful.
Another way to find out if you have a food allergy is to visit an allergy doctor like one from Asthma and Allergy Clinic and have an allergy skin test performed. This is often called a "skin prick test," because your doctor will make small scratches, or pricks, in your skin, and then expose each scratch to a suspected allergen. If there is a reaction at a specific site, then the doctor knows that you are likely allergic to that substance.
Your allergy doctor may also be able to perform blood tests to find the specific allergy if the other methods cannot be performed.
Remember that allergic reactions come in many forms. If you have a suspicious or chronic skin problem, then it could be a food allergy that can easily be treated by removing the offending food once allergy tests are performed. You can then break the cycle of using medication to only treat the symptoms.
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