How can a soya allergy be diagnosed?

Talk to your doctor about your own or your child's signs and symptoms. It might help to keep a log of everything you have eaten a few days before any allergic symptoms appeared. You or your doctor may spot a pattern emerging and may be able to diagnose you or you child, or may be able to come up with a list of foods that might be causing your problems. There are a number of tests that can aid or confirm a diagnosis.

The most accurate and reliable way to test a food allergy is the elimination dietary challenge. Your doctor will ask you or your child to refrain from eating any soya-containing products for a period of time, to see if your or your child's symptoms die down totally. You or your child will then be asked to resume eating soya-containing foods to see if any symptoms start flaring up again. If they do, there is a good chance that you do have a soya protein allergy.

The RAST (radioallergosorbent test) is also fairly accurate and reliable. It involves taking blood, and attempting to react IgE in your blood with soya allergens. IgE is the immune chemical that stimulates mast cell (a type of white blood cell) to make histamine, which is the chemical causing your signs and symptoms. Skin tests are done by introducing a small amount of allergen to the skin or just under the skin to see if a skin reaction develops. If you are allergic to soya, you might see a “wheal and flare” - an irregular, blanched area of skin surrounded by a reddened area of inflammation.

Soya allergy Guide Index:



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