Response to Jackie's Question about Allergy Testing- Blog #34

There are allergies and sensitivities. If you are having a classic allergic reaction (such as hives or swelling), traditional allergy scratch testing or a blood RAST or ImmunoCal test usually works well. Sensitivities and reactions are trickier because the reaction can evolve from a large number of possible causes. Each test looks for a different reaction. For example, there is a specific test for lactose intolerance but it finds no other types of reactions. The best general screening test that I sometimes use is an IgG test from MetaMetrix. It has the least number of false positives and looks for non-allergic reactions to 30 foods. It must be ordered by a practitioner.