Food allergy misdiagnoses on the rise

Though the diagnosis of food allergies is on the rise, so is their misdiagnosis, according to a Los Angeles Times article by Emily Sohn.

Many primary care physicians are using unreliable blood tests rather than more accurate food challenges in which patients remove foods from their diets and then reintroduce them one at a time.

The result?  Needless food avoidance through restrictive diets that are hard to manage.

Still, sensitivity to the protein gluten can confuse the body's immune system and result in celiac disease, which is becoming increasingly common.  About 90% of celiac disease cases go undiagnosed.