"RUNNY EGGS, WATERY EYES"

How food can be the cause of your allergies. Are you experiencing symptoms which doctors are unable to diagnose, believe are stress-related, or have been labeled "psychosomatic?" You are not alone. Adults frequently suffer from subjective medical complaints such as fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain and joint pain, to name a few. Unfortunately, the focus of conventional medicine is based on objective data derived from physical examinations, lab tests and x-rays. Therefore, if an individual expresses a subjective complaint such as fatigue that cannot be objectively documented, it is quite likely that he or she will be categorically labeled with a psychosomatic disorder. It has been my experience, however, that quite frequently food allergies are the underlying cause for an adults's medical complaints. There are two categories of food allergies: a "fixed" food allergy produces an immediate acute reaction in an individual such as difficulty breathing, hives or throat swelling. These reactions are most commonly caused by eggs, peanuts and shellfish. A "fixed" food allergy, however, accounts for only 5-10% of all food allergy reactions. On the other hand, hidden, or "masked", food allergies involve foods that are ingested at least twice per week. Because the foods are ingested so frequently, the symptoms are chronic, of a lower grade, and therefore, more difficult to diagnose. For example, an individual who craves wheat in his or her diet will frequently complain of headaches and fatigue. Because the reaction is less obvious, most individuals do not associate a particular food with an allergic reaction. Foods that commonly cause allergies: eggs, corn, sugar, wheat, milk. Consider the following medical history. In April 1991, I saw a 59-year old male who had a number of complaints including multiple nasal symptoms, eye itching, ear itching, recurrent bronchitis and sinusitis, gastrointestinal complaints, muscle and joint pain, sinus headaches and fatigue. In addition, he had a history of being "unpleasant" and was unable to control his temper after eating. This man was receiving no relief from his complaints and was told by several physicians that his problems were purely psychosomatic. Upon visiting my office, allergy testing was carried out immediately. The patient tested positive to eight foods which he ingested several times per week. He was put on food immunotherapy treatment to block the reactions and was asked to diminish his intake of sugar, baked goods, milk and junk food. At a follow-up visit six weeks later, the man's multiple complaints were either markedly diminished or non-existent. The most dramatic improvement in this patient's health was the overall improvement in his personality and increased energy level. Over three years later, this patient continues to be in the best of health, with good energy level and no symptoms after eating. The detection of food allergies significantly changed this patient's life.

How can you control your food allergies? The first step in diagnosing a food allergy is to carry out an elimination diet. In a controlled, medically supervised program, one should eliminate milk, wheat, eggs, corn, sugar, chocolate, citrus, peanuts and preservatives/additives for 7-10 days. Foods ingested during this period should be limited to fruits, vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish and grains (rye, oat, barley and rice). After the 7-10 day period is complete, each food should be reintroduced into the diet, one day at a time. If symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain or joint pain develop, it is quite likely that that food is the cause of an individual's symptoms. A direct cause and effect relationship is a signal to the patient and the physician that certain foods should be eliminated altogether from the diet. Elimination diets are considered to be the gold standard for evaluating food allergies. In fact the elimination diet should be incorporated into primary care medicine because it is cost-effective and an excellent way to diagnose subjective medical symptoms. There are several problems with elimination diets. These include the frustration a patient feels when trying to stick to a strict diet for the 7-10 day period. In addition, if the elimination diet is negative, a person could assume that food allergies are not the cause of his or her problems and experience a false sense of security. Frequently, foods eliminated in an elimination diet are not the culprits but nutritious foods such as lettuce, potato, rice and oats can actually be the problem. If the elimination diet is either negative or partially successful, then a comprehensive allergy evaluation is recommended. Further allergy testing is necessary before foods can be eliminated as the source for a patient's medical problems. It is time for health care practitioners to start listening to what patients have to say about their medical problems without a pre-formed bias. They need to look beyond the automatic stress label for any subjective problems that does not appear on a lab test, physical examination or x-ray. By placing more emphasis on common sense and clinical judgment, the medical community can be much more effective in diagnosing subjective symptoms, especially those caused by food allergies. The most commonly affected parts of the body include: ears, nose, eyes, throat, skin, gastrointestinal system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, central nervous system. Foods can cause wide range of adverse reactions in the human body from head to toe.