How to Diagnose Allergies to Caffeine
Caffeine allergies are the immune system's abnormal response to caffeine intake. Most caffeine allergies develop after high doses of caffeine are consumed over long periods of time. Caffeine is found in many types of food products, including coffee, chocolate, tea and soda. A caffeine allergy can be hard to diagnose, because symptoms are often mistaken for mental disorders like attention deficit disorder, manic-depressive disorder or schizophrenia. If you think you have a caffeine allergy, follow the steps below to get a professional diagnosis.
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Instructions
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Recognize the allergy symptoms. After ingesting caffeine, you may notice facial swelling in your lips or tongue. Sometimes caffeine allergies show up as nasal congestion or asthma-like symptoms. Most food allergies only cause physical symptoms, but caffeine allergies can also include such reactions as dizziness, mood swings and agitation. Those who suffer from caffeine allergies have trouble concentrating and may seem to be manic at times.
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Keep a food diary to track the relationship between your allergy symptoms and your caffeine intake. Write down everything you eat and drink, and take note when your allergy symptoms appear. In some cases, allergic reactions can take hours to appear after the exposure. Your food diary can help you determine what amount of caffeine triggers an allergic reaction and how long it takes the reaction to occur.
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Talk to your health care provider about your problems with caffeine. You will be asked about your caffeine intake and the allergy symptoms. Be prepared to explain what your food diary revealed. A physical examination will be done to rule out any health conditions that could be mimicking allergy symptoms.
If nothing can be determined as the cause of your allergy symptoms, you will be tested for caffeine allergies. The most common method is through a skin test, involving the insertion of purified allergens into several areas of the skin. If you have caffeine allergies, you will develop red, irritated skin at the insertion spots.
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