A sensitivity to eggs, gluten, dairy, or any other types of food can cause diverse symptoms hours or days after you eat those foods. Not quite as severe as a food allergy, you can manage a food sensitivity by limiting or avoiding the food and engaging in holistic care at Las Vegas Integrative Medicine. To speak with our Naturopathic Doctors, and the team about food sensitivities and how to manage them, call the office in Las Vegas, Nevada, or schedule your appointment online today.

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What is a food sensitivity?

Food sensitivity is a condition that affects you after you eat a specific food. If you have a particular food sensitivity, symptoms may vary and begin a while after you have a meal. This is opposed to food allergies, which cause more severe and rapid reactions, although they both are abnormal immune reactions to the food.

You can go for a long time without realizing you have a food sensitivity. Even if you know you get symptoms sometimes, a food sensitivity might not occur to you as the cause, or you might not know what type of food causes your reactions.

Food sensitivity can be found by laboratory tests as well as self-monitoring of symptoms. An elimination diet can help identify the problematic foods. However, due to the subtlety of various symptoms and wide time frame, many people prefer tests to help them navigate through necessary dietary changes.

What are the signs and symptoms of food sensitivity?

You get symptoms from a particular food several days after you eat it. Any food associated with sensitivity is normally safe for consumption, and most people can eat it without getting such symptoms.

While food sensitivities can affect any organ in the body, including the digestive system, many people are not aware of it, therefore, may not think it is any specific food that causes their symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of food sensitivity may include such as:

  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
  • Migraines or headache
  • Stomach pain
  • Joint pain
  • Fatigue
  • Skin rash or eczema
  • Brain fog

These symptoms tend to set in 48-72 hours after you eat the sensitive food, and they’re not life-threatening.

The team at Las Vegas Integrative Medicine can help determine which food or foods cause your symptoms, with some of the most common culprits being soy, dairy products, gluten, corn, and food additives.

Is food sensitivity treatable?

While food reactions are common, they can be challenging to figure out and time-consuming. But, as it may affect your overall health, it is worth the time and effort.

There is no known cure for food sensitivities, but you can take steps to be more comfortable and enjoy your meals without worrying about an impending reaction. Once you find out what kind of food causes your reactions, you can start making changes in your daily food intake accordingly.

In addition, the team at Las Vegas Integrative Medicine educates you on how to make the necessary changes as an individual, such as reading labels at the grocery store to avoid unwanted ingredients.

They might also recommend naturopathic medicine to improve your symptoms and repair current damages through nutritional supplements, acupuncture, or herbal medicine.

Learn more about your food sensitivity and how to manage it by scheduling an appointment over the phone or online at Las Vegas Integrative Medicine today.