I stumbled across some very interesting information today. Apparently, a lot of us are being treated for “true” allergy (which is proven medically by the presence of IgE antibodies in our blood) when we don’t have it! In fact, according to an article in the Journal of Family Practice, research indicates that as many as two-thirds of people undergoing allergy treatment could be misdiagnosed. At issue seems to be making use of  testing that confirms allergies and excludes other conditions. The article goes on to say that even allergy specialists were only 50% accurate in their ability to determine a diagnosis of allergy by history and physical examination compared with lab tests.

This means that an awful lot of us could be walking around thinking we have allergies when we have something else going on.

It could be as simple as getting a RAST blood test or a skin prick test. While these tests are not 100% accurate either, they are the best diagnostic tools to date. This shouldn’t necessarily give you a great sense of comfort though: according to an article by Dr. Robert Wood, as many as 6 out of 10 positive skin test results could actually be a false positive! That means you could again be diagnosed with an allergy when you don’t have one.

While tests are important, a full diagnostic picture needs to be built, and symptoms need to be taken into consideration. Also, the field of allergy is not black and white. Whether you have a “true” allergy or not, if you have had more than one severe reaction after eating a particular food, you need to avoid it. The presence of IgE doesn’t change that outcome. The only difference is how you treat it, and in some cases I’ve found that the only way for anyone to proceed is to experiment – and that includes what the doctor has to do. No treatment regimen will work for everyone and no medication is a silver bullet.

Allergies are chronic condition. Allergies cannot be cured according to most medical doctors (although I’d disagree); they can only be managed. Therefore, the diagnosis of allergy when it is not could be condemning a patient to years of fruitless treatment combined with the attitude that you’ll just have to live with it, while also preventing the correct and more effective treatment from being employed.