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Can Allergy Testing Help with Eczema

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

The connection between allergies and eczema

You may be surprised to hear that there’s a strong connection between eczema and allergies. While two may seem like completely different issues, there’s solid evidence that they’re connected. This has prompted experts to ponder whether allergy testing would help those suffering from eczema.

There’s currently a lot of conversation about the connection between eczema and food allergies. The topic in question is; “does having eczema make developing food allergies more common than those without eczema? Can food allergies cause eczema? Does having one worsen the other?

Evidence suggests that those who suffer from the skin condition are more likely to develop food allergies than those without. Conversely, people who have a food allergy are also more likely to have eczema.

How Allergy Testing can help

The idea is that having an allergy test could help eczema sufferers alleviate their symptoms. Allergy testing looks for the IgE antibody – If you have an allergic reaction, the IgE antibody will be present. This testing can help you to understand if the eczema is a result of a food allergy. 

Identifying and avoiding a food allergy has been proven to help clear up cases of eczema. Most people expect an allergic reaction to cause symptoms such as anaphylaxis and swelling rather than skin conditions, but there’s a wide range of symptoms which can arise from an allergic reaction. Eczema is one of these symptoms. 

If you’re experiencing a bout of eczema, you should first figure out whether something topical could be causing it. Is it a new hygiene product or laundry detergent? Maybe something in the local environment? It doesn’t make sense to get an allergy test until you’ve ruled out all the other possibilities.

A Cure for Eczema?

Research indicates that food allergy testing could lead to alleviating eczema and, when used early in the diagnostic process, it could save lots of time and discomfort. Not to mention it can pinpoint an unknown food allergy that could cause much more serious issues than a skin condition.

Only time will tell if allergy testing can help cure eczema. but it’s exciting to imagine that a cure exists. Especially to those who are regularly dealing with severe cases and aren’t seeing impactful results from traditional treatment. 

While we try to connect the dots between eczema and food allergies — and which comes first — for now, it’s clear that food allergy testing could be the key to the dealing with eczema.

Can Allergy Testing Reduce Asthma Symptoms?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

If you’re not familiar with allergies, or asthma, then you might not be aware that there is a small connection between the two. Depending on your viewpoint, this may be good or bad news. Regardless, allergy testing can help asthma sufferers find relief from their chronic symptoms. 

Asthmas link with Allergies

In many cases, an allergy can actually be what causes asthma to develop. For example, if you’re allergic to dust, your body sees the dust particles entering unannounced as an enemy to destroy. This brings about rashes and other kinds of reactions, including lung issues such as coughing and wheezing. All these symptoms are your bodies way of dealing with the perceived threat. 

This formation of allergy-related asthmatic symptoms is named “allergic asthma”. This means the allergic reaction triggers the onset of asthma. From there, the allergen can trigger further asthma attacks.

How can allergy testing help my asthma?

Allergy testing can be quite helpful for those living with allergies. Your asthmatic symptoms can improve (or even dissipate) with proper identification and avoidance of the triggers. Once the body is no longer fighting off allergens as if it were a virus, the symptoms are no longer a problem.

Despite allergies and asthma being treated as separate conditions, there is evidence to suggest that treating one can help alleviate symptoms of the other. Allergic asthma occurs because the body is fighting off the allergen. The lungs and airways then suffer to the point of triggering the asthmatic symptoms. When you identify and avoid the allergen, the lungs and related symptoms are no longer triggered the same way.

Treating an allergy isn’t necessarily a cure for asthma though, as it can be triggered by issues other than an allergy (sometimes asthmatics don’t even have allergies). Still, there is research suggesting that treating allergies can help improve to alleviate asthmatic symptoms. Thus, improving the overall quality of life on both fronts.

Allergies and Asthma aren’t always found together

Some Asthmatics experience allergic asthma, but it isn’t always the case. Approximately 40% of asthmatics in the US don’t experience allergic asthma. It’s often symptoms like rashes or runny eyes when it comes to mild and moderate allergies. Anyone with a history of allergic asthma or who experienced hay fever as a child is more likely to deal with asthmatic reactions later in life.

Neither asthma nor allergies are fun to deal with. But understanding the connection between them and understanding how to deal with any symptoms and their causes can help you make the most out of this less-than-ideal situation. This is excellent news for those who regularly deal with asthma attacks. 

How an Intolerance Test can relieve stress

Posted on by Kate Young

Modern life is full of stresses and strains which can make life tiring and exhausting. Money, work, family life, the list of things having an effect on you on a day to day basis can seem endless. Did you ever stop to consider the fact that the food you’re eating could be having as significant an impact as anything? An intolerance test can help you identify the foods that are causing symptoms that are piling the stress on.

 Here we look at how an intolerance test could be the first step on a journey to a new, stress-free you.

Brain Fog

You’ve got a list of jobs to help put you on the path to a less stressful way of life. But you cannot seem to make head nor tail of the list. As much as you look at it, you cannot make sense of what you’re looking at. You know the words, but they won’t go in. You are likely experiencing a bout of brain fog. A commonly reported condition, brain fog can have a severe impact on your ability to process information or act effectively on instruction. Sodium nitrite causes with brain fog. An intolerance test will identify foods that may be causing irritations leading to brain fog.

intolerance test stressed

Anxiety and Depression

 Tackling the factors that are causing you stress are severely inhibited by anxiety and depression. These conditions lead to apathy which will reduce your productivity and contribute to the anxiety and depression. It can be a vicious circle. There is evidence of a correlation between food intolerance and depression and anxiety. Symptoms of food intolerance contribute to the condition as you get worn down by constantly not feeling well. A food intolerance test can help you identify the foods to remove from your diet to improve your mood.

Digestive problems

Have you tried being productive when you’re suffering from stomach pain, or bloating, or diarrhoea? It can be incredibly challenging to focus on the task at hand when you’re always rushing off to the bathroom or are struggling with searing stomach pain which leaves you bent double. These symptoms are incredibly common in food intolerances and is an avoidable stressor that can be identified and removed from your life with the completion of an elimination diet using the results of a food intolerance test.

Take back control of your stress levels by removing the foods that are causing you life-affecting symptoms. Take an intolerance test today.

Can an Elimination Diet Cause Nausea?

Posted on by Kate Young

Elimination diets aren’t a walk in the park, especially if one of the foods you’re eliminating is something you were previously eating daily. But they’re a pretty important step following a food intolerance test.

The good news is that an elimination diet doesn’t cause nausea in and of itself. But it could indirectly be causing you nausea. There are a few ways this can happen. Let’s explore them.

Missing Essential Nutrients in Your Diet

A nutrient deficiency could cause your nausea. Beginning an elimination diet without making sure you replace the vitamins and minerals that are in the food you’re scrapping can cause various adverse reactions in your body.

Nausea is a common symptom of vitamin B12, magnesium and vitamin D deficiencies. You can essentially become deficient in these nutrients if you’ve suddenly excluded the only primary source of it from your diet. We recommend looking at the nutrients stored in the foods you’ve eliminated and seek to substitute them with foods of a similar vitamin and mineral contents.

Caffeine Withdrawal

If you’ve abruptly withdrawn from drinking coffee or consuming caffeine as part of your elimination diet, it could be a withdrawal symptom.

As caffeine is quite an addictive substance, many people can experience withdrawal effects if they suddenly stop consuming it. Symptoms include irritability, nausea, fatigue, low energy and poor concentration.

Experts recommend that those who experience these symptoms wean themselves off of caffeine, instead of quitting cold turkey. Try cutting down one cup at a time. Weakening your coffee could also help to reduce your intake. 

You’re Genuinely Under the Weather

It could just be that you’re under the weather with a cold, or feeling run down. Stress, smoking, drinking alcohol and several other factors can all contribute to lowering your immune system and make you more susceptible to catching a travelling cold.

Diabetes and other immune system disorders can also severely impact your immune system. It may just be a coincidence that feeling unwell has followed you starting an elimination diet.

Don’t let this tempt you to break your elimination diet streak. You’re much better off following through, provided you maintain nutrient balance than going back to experiencing daily frustrations and symptoms of which you can’t narrow down the cause.

To make your elimination diet even more effective, consider getting an intolerance test, to indicate which foods you’re intolerant to so that you only eliminate what’s necessary.

What They Don’t Tell You About The Gluten-Free Diet

Posted on by Kate Young

With estimates of 1 in 100 people worldwide living with celiac disease and many more suffering some form of gluten intolerance, the gluten-free diet is becoming increasingly popular as a health optimisation tool. However, it is also gaining traction as a weight loss diet.

Here we look at how getting this diet wrong can actually lead to weight gain.

Gluten Intolerance

A lot is still unknown about gluten intolerance or sensitivity, but anecdotal reports have shown many people experiencing an improvement in negative symptoms. Symptoms associated with gluten intolerance include:

  • Bloating
  • Diarrhoea
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Fatigue

In the quest for relief of these life-altering symptoms, many have turned to gluten as a potential causing factor. You can assess your tolerance for gluten with one of our tests and, if you discover you do have sensitivities, we offer full support in undertaking an elimination diet.

Going Gluten-Free

Given that gluten intolerance restricts your access to foods traditionally considered unhealthy; breads, processed foods and starchy carbohydrates, you’d expect that a welcome side effect of your condition would be weight loss.

But this isn’t necessarily always the case. The rapid growth of the gluten-free market has led manufacturers to replace all of your favourite foods with gluten-free alternatives. In their quest to achieve foods that taste just as good as the originals, some have turned to sugars and fats in excessive quantities.

Gluten-free Pizza -a cheesy, stringy godsend

There are also considerations to be made about the gluten-free ingredients that are used in baking and cooking. White rice flour, whilst gluten-free, can induce a dramatic rise in blood sugar and contain very little nutritional value.

So, gluten-free foods aren’t as they seem right? Well, no.

Doing Gluten-Free Right

Going gluten-free should be seen as an opportunity to move to a whole foods led diet. Fresh fruit and vegetables are all gluten-free and contain a lot of the vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to note, however, that processed fruits are not necessarily gluten intolerance friendly.

Fresh meats are also suitable for those living with a gluten intolerance. A fantastic source of protein, the building blocks of muscle, they’re also incredibly satiating and help you to avoid the temptation of the foods that aggravate your gluten intolerance. Be careful of processed meats, however, as they are likely NOT gluten-free.

Whole fruit and vegetables – gluten-free so fill your boots.

Going gluten-free can lead to a total lifestyle revolution. It affords you the opportunity to explore a wealth of foods and also learn or develop cooking skills and even create your own recipes.

To discover whether you have gluten intolerance and would benefit from a shift to a gluten-free lifestyle, take one of our tests. Following your results, we offer full support in completing an elimination diet to optimise your health moving forward.

How Do I Know If I Have Lactose Intolerance?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

Between 30 and 50 million adults have Lactose Intolerance making it quite common. The question is, are you lactose intolerant?

Several different symptoms come with a lactose intolerance, and they usually occur within a few hours of consumption. Below are a few symptoms that may indicate an issue if they coincide with eating products that contain lactose.

Diarrhoea

It makes sense that consuming foods you’re intolerant to would disrupt your digestive system and lactose can have a real impact on your bathroom trips. Diarrhoea after lactose is an indicator of an issue and can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Stomach Cramps and Pains

As well as diarrhoea, people with lactose intolerance will often experience extreme stomach cramps. The gases produced by the stomach fermentation process cause this pain. The pain and bloating experience is not related to the amount of lactose imbibed, but the level of intolerance the individual has.

pile of cheese causes lactose intolerance

Constipation

If you’re passing infrequent, hard stools or are having to strain excessively, you are likely experiencing constipation. Bacteria ferment the undigested lactose in the stomach, which produces methane gas and this gas is thought to slow down the movement of food through the gut. Constipation is less likely than diarrhoea but is still a potential symptom.

Other potential symptoms

Other symptoms that have possible ties to lactose intolerance include:

  • Extreme Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Brain Fog
  • Eczema
  • Joint Pain

Though they have not been proven as established symptoms, they have been reported frequently in case studies.

Other intolerances or allergies cause all of the above symptoms. To establish what might be causing the above symptoms for you, you should take an intolerance test.

Five ways an allergy test will change your life

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

As Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power.” and an allergy test can give you the power to change your life. Once you’re aware of the allergies you suffer from and the effects they’re having on your body and life, you can take the steps necessary towards a healthier lifestyle.

There are many ways allergy testing can change your life; below are five we’ve identified.

1. You can finally enjoy social events

Allergies can hurt your ability to enjoy your social time. Meals can be riddled with ingredients that upset your stomach, going for a coffee can leave you feeling anxious, and bar snacks can leave you struggling for breath. Allergy testing can help you avoid foods that cause these and many other symptoms, empowering you to get the most out of time with friends.

2. Improved workout performance

Allergies can encourage any number of symptoms that impair athletic performance. In some cases, the symptoms, combined with exercise, can be life-threatening. An allergy test can help you identify foods and substances that leave you puffing for breath, long before your muscles feel fatigued, or cutting your workout short to make an unexpected trip to the nearest bathroom. In turn, exercise can help manage the symptoms of an allergy.

man running on treadmill

3. Improved cognitive function

Brain fog leaves you unable to focus on even the simplest of tasks and certainly far short of being able to deliver your best work. Allergies can cause inflammation which affects sleep patterns leaving you in a state of sleepy wakefulness. This can have a real impact on your working and social life as essential tasks can take twice as long. Allergy testing can help identify potential causing factors that you can eliminate from your diet or life, helping clear your mind and allow you to focus entirely on the tasks at hand.

4. Improved mood

Studies have found that allergies can have mental effects as well as physical. Allergy induced fatigue can lead to depression and anxiety as sufferers struggle to get quality sleep. Depression has been shown to be twice as common amongst allergy sufferers than the general population. Identifying the culprit using allergy testing can help combat depression and lift your mood.

5. Improved sleep quality

There are a significant number of effectors on sleep and eliminating them one by one will lead to enhanced rest. Amongst the things that can have an impact on sleep is an allergy. Sleep is the time your brain uses to recuperate and restore damaged cells. To do this, your brain requires a steady flow of oxygen which can be in short supply when an allergic reaction inflames nasal passages. 

 To begin your life-changing journey, you can take one of our allergy tests today to eliminate your culprit.

What is a Food Intolerance Test?

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

An intolerance test is an examination of a given sample (such as hair or blood) to check if the body has heightened levels of antibodies in reaction to certain foods. The test itself is easy, fast, and painless. It’s suitable for everyone from babies to pensioners.

This blogpost will discuss how it works, why you should get a food intolerance test and where to get one from.

How Does Food Intolerance Testing Work?

If you aren’t informed on it, food intolerance testing can feel more like a mystic art than a science. After all, it’s an impressive feat of science that with such a small sample size (just a few hairs or drops of blood) we can deduce how you’ll respond to an abundance of different foods. But how does it all work?

Despite what some may think, intolerance testing has been carefully refined and is highly scientific. Food intolerances can be related to enzyme issues, chemicals, histamines, and even toxins. We use these triggers to identify your problem foods or ingredients so that you know which ones to avoid.

You can expect the results that you’ll get from intolerance testing to be detailed, helpful, and supportive in making your food-focused life better than ever. Once you’re no longer battling with breakfast lunch and dinner, your relationship with food is greatly improved.

Intolerance Test Analysis

Once we receive your sample, you’ll be notified, so you know it won’t be too long before your results are ready.

First, all test samples are sorted, based on where they’ve come from, which test the customer is having, etc. Then, samples are taken through to the lab, where they are tested. Here’s how the process looks for blood samples:

“Your blood sample is turned into plasma (the liquid component of blood), and our lab technicians then analyse the immune-mediated intolerances, which produce IgG4 antibodies against 40 foods to generate a report. The report is then uploaded to your secure customer area for you to download.”

– Lifelab Testing

Your report indicates the severity of any reactions your sample indicated. It’s quite common for intolerance results to highlight foods you’ve regularly been eating – you might just need to vary your diet a little more.

Why Should I Get an Intolerance Test?

If you’re struggling with annoying symptoms not attributable to an underlying health issue, intolerance testing could help. Not only will it clear the fog and help you see which foods your body doesn’t cope with, but it could also help you get rid of those symptoms altogether (at the very least, you’ll be able to rule out your whether your diet is the perpetrator).

If you have an unaddressed food intolerance for too long, it will prevent you from performing at your best. if your body is too busy fending off against intolerance or allergy, it’s running itself down. There’s not enough energy left over to make you feel or act at your best. Here are a few reasons in favour of getting tested for intolerances:

  • It’s simple and fast: Firstly, an intolerance test is fast and easy to complete. The results don’t demand a painful sacrifice of time or a large amount of soft tissue. You’ll get concrete results that are clear and concise.
  • Understand your weird symptoms: Food intolerances can be difficult to figure out, especially since the symptoms are similar to many other conditions. An intolerance test takes the guessing out and lets you know what foods are causing what symptoms.
  • Helps you get a full picture of your health: Understanding your food intolerances means understanding yourself that little bit better. It’ll help you manage your health more effectively and help make life more enjoyable for yourself and those around you.

Where to Get a Food Intolerance Testing Kit

At Lifelab Testing, we offer intolerance testing kits that contain everything you need to take a small blood sample in the comfort of your home. Learn more about our simple test kits below.

Basic Food Intolerance Test Home Kit

Do you suspect you know what’s to blame for your symptoms? If you’ve noticed that you consistently feel discomfort a couple of hours after eating a potential allergen (for example, gluten, dairy or milk), our basic intolerance testing kit is for you.

The basic kit can test for 40 common food and drink intolerances, is easy-to-use and delivered directly to your door. All you need to do is follow the instructions to take a quick skin-prick blood test at home, before sending it back to our scientists using the prepaid packaging provided.

Our team will analyse your sample, searching for an antibody known as IgG4. This is produced by your immune system every time you eat something that sparks your intolerance. A high presence of IgG4 will help us identify the substance that’s causing your problems.

Complete Food Intolerance Home Test Kit

Alternatively, you may have no idea what’s causing your symptoms. Almost anything can spark a food intolerance, so don’t give up if you’ve ruled out the common antigens such as gluten and lactose.

Our complete intolerance testing kit can identify 160 key food and drink intolerances in just one sample. This makes it a lot quicker and easier than other methods of diagnosis, such as the elimination method. Imagine trying to cut out 160 different foods in turn!

Once you’ve taken your test and received your results, our complete test also gives you access to a free 30-minute consultation with a qualified nutritionist. They will be able to guide you through the results of your test and advise you on any dietary steps to take in the future.

Order Your Food Intolerance Test Kit

Depending on whether you’ve opted for a blood or hair test, you’ll either print out a form or receive a kit in the post. The former is exclusively for hair tests and the latter – you guessed it – for blood only.

The reason for this is because of the ease with which hair samples can be obtained, compared to blood samples, which require the use of sterilised tools to help you safely pull out your blood.

For blood testers, this is the slightly uncomfortable part. But don’t worry, it’s not nearly as bad as a blood test at the hospital or having an injection. You’ll have to prick your finger using a lancet supplied in the testing kit and encourage your blood to flow out so you can send us your sample. Full instructions will be provided in the leaflet in the kit.

Hair testers have a better time with this, as they only need to supply a few relatively new hairs, which naturally fall out throughout the day anyway. Provided you don’t share a brush; you can take a few hairs from it and send them in.

Overall, intolerance testing is ideal for anyone who’s struggling with strange symptoms, and it’ll make everything better. You’ll have a better understanding of your body and be able to work with it instead of against it. Our certified team promise 100% accurate results or your money back. So, what are you waiting for? Order your intolerance test from Lifelab Testing today or take our quiz to find out which test is best suited to you.

Autumn has arrived, and it’s bringing a whole load of new allergies with it

Posted on by Donna Mastriani

YESSSS, summer is over! This means no more hay fever symptoms, right?! Well, now Autumn is here and the blooms of summer have disappeared, but new allergies are on the way! Ever heard of a mould allergy? Read on to find out more…

What seasonal allergies appear in Autumn?

Well, let’s start with mould. Mould appears because as individuals we are naturally driven inside thanks to the colder weather… You’ll probably find yourself sneezing inside, and it won’t be because of hay fever. Spending more time inside means there is a chance that the mould spores will build up. The best way to deal with it? We know it can be laborious, but if you have a mould allergy then you need to be consistent with your cleaning. Wiping down the windows and cleaning the skirting boards is a must.

Dust builds up

It can also very get dusty inside and you’ll have to be just as thorough with your cleaning skills. Again, the skirting boards need to be wiped, the sofas and the beds need to be whipped into shape, and almost everything needs to be given a wash. Whilst dust is often common during the hot summers, it can then get stirred into the air as soon as you turn the heaters on. Lamps and lampshades also need to be cleaned, as they may not have been used in a while.

What symptoms do I need to be looking out for?

You need to be looking out for the standard allergy symptoms, but they are caused by different items. As mentioned, mould allergy and dust mites are the likely cause. They will cause you to suffer from symptoms like a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, dark circles under the eyes and even itchy eyes and a runny nose!

How can allergy testing help?

When Autumn comes around and the seasons begin to change, allergy testing has been more important. A mould allergy can be potentially diagnosed by checking out Lifelab Testing’s Complete Body Test. Within your detailed report, we’ll be able to tell you where to look to avoid your allergies, and what other items you should be avoiding.

For more information on identifying your mould allergy and looking for types of allergy testing, order from www.lifelabtesting.com.

What causes an allergic reaction?

Posted on by Kate Young

There are many questions which come about due to people suffering from an allergic reaction. But do you know all about the symptoms of an allergy? Do you know how to diagnose an allergy? Do you know about the treatment and management of an allergy? If you want to know the answers to any of these questions, read on below…

Allergies are a chronic condition

Allergies themselves are one of the most common chronic conditions around the world. Varied from an intolerance due to their life-long nature, allergies can be life-threatening. However, not all are that serious, but they all have an impact on someone’s livelihood.

The symptoms of an allergic reaction range drastically, from leaving someone a bit down in the dumps, to being at risk of a life-threatening reaction.

Where does an allergic reaction begin?

Unlike an intolerance, an allergic reaction begins in the immune system. This is important to note as the terms allergy and intolerance are often used interchangeably, but they are completely different. Leading scientists and experts believe that an allergic reaction starts with the immune system. Well, our immune system to protect us from invading organisms which often cause illnesses. BUT, if you have an allergy, your immune system thinks that a harmless substance actually has the potential to harm you. This item that is harmful is known as an allergen.

IgE antibodies

Lifelab Testing is able to help you get closer to knowing if you as an individual are suffering from an allergy or an intolerance. An allergic reaction is when the immune system produces Immunoglobulin E (aka IgE antibodies) antibodies because it thinks it is protecting the body. As stated by the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the antibodies will travel to cells which are releasing histamines and other chemicals, leading to an allergic reaction.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction

An allergic reaction itself typically triggers symptoms in the body, but not necessarily the immune system. Swelling of the tongue, throat and constant headaches, as well as itchy skin, is usually a sign of a food allergy or a non-food allergy.

What are the most common allergens?

Harmful foods and non-foods which most people report an allergy to include pollen (hay fever), dust (from not cleaning the skirting boards), insect stings (wasps and bees), and also latex (washing up gloves etc). If you suspect that you have an allergy to any of these items, then an allergy test would be able to help you gain an idea of what you may have an allergy to.

Are you wanting to find out what is causing your allergic reaction?

If you are wanting to know which foods are potentially causing your issues, then a food allergy test would be ideal for you. Allergic reactions come about from anything, but you do need to know which items are more likely to cause issues. Lifelab Testing offers a range of allergy and intolerance tests, priced competitively.