If you are like many people, you may have gone through your whole life into adulthood without having allergy issues. However, recently you may have noticed that you are having stomach upset, cramping, bloating, and even throat itching or swelling after eating or drinking. One of the possible culprits of such a reaction is milk-based or other dairy products. If you suspect you may have a milk allergy, there are steps that you should take going forward to help you with the situation. Learn some of these steps and then you can start taking the best possible care of yourself going forward. 

Start Limiting Your Dairy Consumption

When you are trying to figure out if you have an allergy to something like dairy, the first step to take is to start limiting your dairy consumption on a daily basis. Try having a meal or two a day without any dairy whatsoever. If you still have your same reactions, you might have an allergy to something other than dairy, but if you feel better, you might be on to something with your dairy theory. 

Pay close attention to your reactions when you do have dairy. And, of course, if you eat processed foods, read nutrition labels carefully to see if there is dairy in them. This is important as you work to gauge whether you have a dairy allergy or sensitivity. 

Contact an Allergy Specialist

Whether you notice a difference when you limit dairy in your diet or not, it is a good idea to contact an allergy specialist when you start to have reactions to the food and drink you are consuming. You can discuss your symptoms with the allergy specialist and then they will likely want to run a few tests. 

The most common test for allergies is skin testing. Skin testing involves the doctor putting small droplets of allergens on your skin and then using a needle to inject them just under the surface of the skin. They will wait around 15 minutes or so and take a look at your skin. If you are allergic to something, you will have a red bump or patch on your skin where that particular allergen was injected. 

This test can work for numerous food allergies, including dairy allergies. Sometimes, if the test results are inconclusive with a skin test, your allergy doctor may also request a blood test to look for specific antibodies that would signify a specific allergy (like a dairy allergy). 

Now that you know a few of the steps to take when you think you might have a milk allergy, you can start dealing with the situation as soon as possible.  For more information, reach out to clinics like Allergy Asthma Specialists.