Food intolerance is the difficulty digesting certain foods while physically reacting badly to them. Have you got symptoms that you think might be related to food intolerance? You should consider having a food intolerance test. At Knights Pharmacy we offer a food intolerance test in Redditch & Bishop Auckland.
In recent years, cases of food intolerance have had a drastic rise, but it’s hard to keep track of these numbers. A good number of people assume they are experiencing food intolerance when what’s really affecting them is something different.
Symptoms of food intolerance (Why you need a food intolerance test in Redditch & Bishop Auckland)
The general symptoms associated with food intolerance are:
- Abdominal pains
- Bloating
- Wind and/or diarrhoea
- Skin rashes and itching
These symptoms are normally experienced a few hours after eating the food.
The fact that these symptoms are similar to the ones linked with a number of other health conditions makes it even more difficult to tell whether it’s food intolerance.
Difference between food allergies and food intolerance
Suffering from food intolerance or food sensitivity varies from having a food allergy. Below are some facts that differentiate these two conditions:
Food intolerance:
- Attacks your digestive system
- Takes place when your digestive system encounters difficulty in digesting certain foods
- Leads to symptoms that aren’t life-threatening
- Symptoms appear within a few hours after eating the food as it makes its way through the digestive system
- Eating a small portion of the food in question may not lead to any symptoms
A food allergy:
- Attacks the immune system
- Happens as a result of the immune system mistaking a protein or any other food component as a threat. The immune system then uses antibodies (proteins) known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) to resist the possible threat.
- Leads to allergic reactions such as wheezing, hives and swelling, skin rashes, and breath shortness among others.
- Symptoms may appear within minutes of eating even a small amount of the allergy trigger.
- May lead to a deadly reaction known as anaphylaxis, which can be fatal if not attended to immediately.
Find out more on how to travel with your allergies and allergy testing in our previous blog posts here:
Food Allergy Guide Allergy Testing
What are the causes of food intolerance?
Food intolerance normally happens when the digestive system fails to produce enough of the particular enzyme required to break down a certain ingredient or food. It’s not yet clear why some individuals experience food intolerance.
Certain gastrointestinal complications may expose you to food sensitivities. They include:
Food intolerance test in Redditch & Bishop Auckland & how to treat it
Monitoring the foods that you eat and the symptoms you experience is the best way to diagnose a case of food intolerance. You can get rid of the food you suspect for a certain period of time, for example, 2 to 6 weeks, then bring it back into your diet to see what happens.
If you notice that a particular food has triggered food intolerance, there are over-the-counter medicines, such as antacids, which can help reduce the symptoms.
If you suspect any cases of food intolerance, feel free to get in touch with Knights Pharmacy or visit us for more guidance and treatment options. We provide a food intolerance service with easy steps to follow.
This post was written on behalf of Knights Pharmacy by Pharmacy Mentor
