Food allergies, food intolerances Hamburg | Food allergies, food intolerances

Food allergies, food intolerances

Approximately 1/3 of the total population suffers from one or more allergies. Over the course of a lifetime, more than 20% of children and more than 30% of adults will develop an allergic disease.
Allergic diseases lead to a reduced quality of life and are often associated with acute symptoms, including allergic shock (anaphylaxis), which is why differential diagnosis and treatment are so important.
The most common allergic diseases include bronchial asthma, hay fever (allergic rhinitis with sensitization to inhaled antigens), neurodermatitis, hives (urticaria), contact eczema and food and insect allergies.
Food allergy is a special form of food intolerance. It is characterized by a specific hypersensitivity to certain substances contained in food.

A distinction is made between primary and secondary food allergies as a result of cross-allergies. In children, food allergies occur predominantly to milk, eggs, meat, fish, nuts and soya.
In adolescents and adults, secondary food allergies are often caused by cross-allergies as part of sensitization to inhalation allergens.
An example of this is oral allergy syndrome (OAS), e.g. birch pollen allergy and cross-reactivity to apple. However, primary severe allergies to e.g. peanuts are also possible.
People with food allergies are two to four times more likely to also have other allergies.
In the last 20 years, the frequency of hospitalizations due to food-induced anaphylaxis has tripled.

Diagnostic procedures

In our allergy consultation, we carry out diagnostics and treatment for a wide range of allergic conditions.

These include:

Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and allergic bronchial asthma
Food allergies and food intolerances
Allergies to insect venom (wasp/bee)
Angioedema
Urticaria
Anaphylaxis Histamine intolerance
Mastocytosis and
Mast cell activation syndrome

In addition, clinical pictures that cross over into gastroenterology:

Eosinophilic esophagitis
Celiac disease
SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
Irritable bowel syndrome

In addition to a detailed allergy anamnesis, we carry out targeted diagnostics to determine the cause of the symptoms.

Allergy diagnostics

Prick Test
Prick-to-prick test
Laboratory chemical determination of specific IgE antibodies
Determination of tryptase, C1 esterase inhibitor, Auto AK
BAT (basophil activation test as a useful addition to the detection of IgE antibodies in special cases (e.g. allergies to food mixtures, food additives, rare food allergies)
Breath gas tests (H2 breath determination) to detect intolerances to lactose, fructose, sorbitol
Endoscopy (ÖGD) for the detection of eosinophilic esophagitis

Allergy therapy

We carry out allergen-specific immunotherapy (hyposensitization) for allergies to inhaled antigens (hay fever) and insect venoms.

In the case of food allergies, a detailed anamnesis and diagnosis is followed by allergological and gastroenterological nutritional advice with the creation of individual diets and food therapy plans.

Our range of treatments also includes the treatment of urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, eosinophilic oesophagitis, mastocytosis/mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), coeliac disease, SIBO (small intestinal mal-colonization) and irritable bowel syndrome.