(RxWiki News) Imagine feeling uncertain about every food you eat because you don't know how your body will react. Living with this kind of uncertainty is a pain, but now there's help.
Researchers have developed a measurement tool that can help all individuals with food allergies live a better life. With this new information, people who are allergic to different foods can start to have peace of mind.
"Psychological test can diagnose a food allergy to get rid of feelings of uncertainty."
Dr. Anthony Dubois, from Beatrix Children’s Hospital in the Netherlands, has developed a psychological test that measures “health-related quality of life” (HRQL) and accurately diagnoses food allergies by using a “food challenge” test. The "food challenge" involves giving individuals different foods and monitoring allergic reactions.
This study involved patients with food allergies and type 1 diabetic patients.
Dubois and colleagues found that people with food allergies had lower HRQL scores compared to type 1 diabetic patients due to their feelings of uncertainty around food. They also found that once a food allergy was diagnosed, the HRQL improved.
HRQL tests can finally provide health care professionals the information they need to help patients with food allergies.
