Have you heard of Food Oral Immunotherapy (FOIT)?
It is desensitizing a patient to a food to which they were formerly allergic, typically anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergy with symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, swelling of the throat or tongue, flushing, hives, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. The goal of FOIT is for a patient to survive accidental exposure and lessen the life-threatening reaction. In some cases, patients can resume eating the food without concern, but this is neither the primary goal nor the common outcome. FOIT is designed to start eating allergenic food at a level below the allergic threshold and increase the dose and exposure regularly and often. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, milk, shellfish, fish, egg and sesame. Most of these can be tough to avoid and as an Allergist-Immunologist, I hear about accidental ingestion frequently.
If you have this issue, you should have an anaphylaxis action plan (essentially what you should do if you develop anaphylaxis), 2 epinephrine auto-injectors, and a medical alert bracelet that gives the phone number of a call center that can speak for you when you cannot. If you would like to be tested for your allergies or believe you might be a good candidate for food oral immunotherapy, Dr. Wendt and the staff at Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives would love to help. Dr. Wendt recently wrote a book, What’s eating our kids: A parent’s guide to food allergy, intolerance and toxicity, which is available for purchase.
If you would like to be tested for your allergies or believe you might be a good candidate for food oral immunotherapy or would just like to understand your food allergies, Dr. Wendt and her staff at Relieve Allergy, Asthma & Hives would love to help.
Call 480-500-1902 or request an appointment at https://relieveallergyaz.com/contact now! Begin your allergy testing journey with Dr. Wendt at Relieve Allergy in Scottsdale, Arizona—It’s time to take care of yourself!
Learn more about Dr. Wendt and Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives at www.relieveallergyaz.com or connect with us: https://www.facebook.com/RelieveAllergy/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-wendt/, https://x.com/RelieveAllergy, https://www.instagram.com/relieve_allergy/ or https://www.youtube.com/@JulieWendt-qx7jm
Relieve Allergy Asthma & Hives is located near Kierland Commons, 21803 N. Scottsdale Road Ste. 200, and has convenient evening and morning hours to accommodate your schedule. Dr. Wendt is also available for telemedicine appointments as appropriate. Most insurance plans are accepted.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not meant to substitute for medical care by an Allergist-Immunologist nor is it intended to provide medical advice or imply a Physician-Patient relationship with its readers or their family. It is intended to provide guidance, direction, and moral support from someone experienced in testing and treating allergies. This is also not meant to be a “do-it-yourself” manual or a “how to” overcome your allergies. Some of the issues mentioned, whether allergic or look-a-like, can be dangerous or if left unchecked, deadly. Please develop a relationship with a Physician you trust to help you with diagnosis, advice, questions, and treatment regarding your and your family’s medical conditions.
