What is a Dairy Allergy?
A diary allergy, in its most basic terms, is the body’s immune response (often prevalent in inflammation and/or tissue damage) to ingesting dairy (milk, cream, yogurt, etc.) or other diary-containing products (such as pizza, ice cream or baked goods). A dairy allergy involves the body’s immune system, which normally fights infection; so when a patient is allergic to dairy (or dairy-related foods), their immune system reacts excessively to the proteins in those milk or dairy products.
What are the Symptoms of a Dairy Allergy?
A dairy allergy, like any other food allergy, is responsible for triggering countless uncomfortable symptoms and painful reactions for the patient – usually occurring within minutes to hours after eating foods that contain milk proteins – including:
- Abdominal discomfort
- Ear infections in children
- Constipation
- Acne
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Wheezing
- Heartburn and gastric reflux conditions
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Drop-in blood pressure
- Canker sores
- Sinusitis
- Fibromyalgia
- Swelling
- Iron deficiency and/or anemia
- Joint Pain
- Fatigue
- Lactose Intolerance
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
- Osteoporosis
- Indigestion
- Frequent Illnesses (due to a weakened immune system)
And, although it’s not common, milk and dairy allergies can also cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis, which may start with some of the above symptoms as a less severe reaction, but then rapidly worsen.
Dairy Allergy/Testing and Diagnosis by Naturopathic Doctors
To evaluate whether you or someone in your family has a dairy allergy (keep in mind that dairy allergies are prevalent amongst young children too) your naturopathic physician will likely administer and assess a detailed questionnaire and exam, pertaining to the signs, symptoms, reactions and complaints of the patient before a more specific dairy allergy testing is conducted.
The naturopathic physician will ask you to keep a detailed record of the foods you (or your child) eats, to determine the occurrences of food allergy reactions. If a dairy allergy does in fact appear, your naturopathic physician may advise you to eliminate milk and other dairy-related foods from your diet (or your child’s diet), and then have you add back the dairy and dairy-related foods slowly, to assess for a reaction. (This is also known as an elimination diet.)
Specific Food Allergy Testing
The naturopathic doctor may recommend further allergy testing through one or both of the following tests for a food allergy:
Skin test: In this test, your skin is pricked and exposed to small amounts of the proteins found in milk. If you’re allergic, you develop a raised bump (hive or rash) at the test location on your skin.
Blood test: A blood test can effectively measure your body’s immune response and reaction to milk and other dairy-related products, by measuring the number of particular antibodies in your bloodstream, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. The blood sample is then tested for evidence of sensitivity to dairy proteins.
If your doctor suspects your symptoms are caused by something other than a dairy allergy, you may need other food allergy tests to recognize or rule out certain medical conditions and concerns.
Should you be tested for a Dairy Allergy?
Our naturopathic physicians have the practical and clinical experience to help determine if a dairy allergy is present, and which courses of treatment are best for the patient.
In Vancouver, dairy allergy test results usually take about two to three weeks to come back. Once the results are in, your naturopathic doctor will review the results with you and discuss the necessary next steps, such as dietary changes and other interventions to help reduce your reactions and ease your symptoms.
Our naturopathic doctors offer patients a thorough dairy allergy testing and diagnosis. Dairy allergy testing therapy as we practice it is firmly established on clinical and scientific evidence. Our Naturopaths use only the most advanced testing processes available, to keep you feeling your best.
If you feel that you are a candidate for dairy allergy testing in downtown Vancouver, and would like more information on the process, please contact one of our Naturopathic Doctors.
