Contamination Food Challenge
Evaluates how your body handles trace amounts of allergen
Overview
For anyone with food allergies, especially with a history of a severe reaction or anaphylaxis to a food, the worry about a contaminated plate or silverware at a restaurant, or a friend or family member’s house, can be a major concern. After some time on your SLIT allergy drops treatment, it is likely that your immune system has gained the ability to tolerate these types of potential exposures. There is unfortunately no way to confirm this with a blood IgE level or a skin test, as both of these are often still positive when this level of tolerance has been achieved. Therefore, a food challenge test would be necessary to get the best possible information.
At Allergenuity Health, we can set up a contamination food challenge to suit your specific question or concern about contamination. You (or your child) would eat a food they eat regularly and tolerate well in the setting of a small amount of contamination by the food allergen of concern. You would be closely monitored, and if any concerning signs or symptoms of an allergic reaction began to occur, the challenge would be stopped and you would be treated and monitored as appropriate for your symptoms. If no symptoms occur, you would be monitored for about 2 hours in the clinic (since that is the timeframe in which most anaphylaxis reactions occur), and then we would discuss with you the results of your food challenge and what this means for you.
Passing a contamination food challenge can take a big weight off your shoulders and make you feel more comfortable in many social gathering situations. You may no longer need to avoid restaurants, cafeterias, and other people’s houses for fear of a food allergen exposure due to contamination, or have to bring your own dishes and silverware everywhere. This little bit of new freedom can make the whole world feel lighter and brighter, and make previously stressful events much more enjoyable. If this service is something you are interested, please let us know anytime so that Dr. Schroeder can work with you to decide together if and when it would be safe and appropriate for you or your child.