ALLERGY – DIAGNOSIS

It is estimated 1 in 20 children suffers from food allergy to at least one food product. According to World Health Organization a food allergy is an adverse reaction to food involving an immunological mechanism.

Where to start?

1. Visit your primary care physician. After the initial diagnosis of food allergy, the patient receives a referral to a specialist clinic (allergy clinic). If the referral is urgent the patient is admitted to the clinic without waiting in a queue.
2. Allergy Clinic (I chose the Independent Public Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw – you may choose any allergy clinic). After receiving a referral from your primary care physician sign up for an allergist.
3. The allergist will ask for your medical history so keeping a diet journal and observing products that may cause allergies, the symptoms, and keeping notes is recommended. After examination allergist will schedule you to a skin or blood test. If you have strong allergy symptoms, eg anaphylactic shock, dyspnoea, etc., the doctor will order serum-specific IgE antibodies determination test.
4. Next step is blood test – waiting for the results is about 6-8 weeks.
5. Immediately after the blood test you should schedule the next visit in order to consult your results.

 

If the symptoms indicating the risk of allergy occur please contact your primary care physician who will refer you to an allergy clinic. Allergy will be diagnosed by an allergist and treatment will be recommended. I assess the diagnosis of Allergy by the NFZ very well, the only con was the waiting time for the results.