Dietary measures - allergen avoidance

After an allergic affliction (expressed as rhino-conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma or eczema) has been diagnosed, and treatment of the more serious symptoms initiated, avoidance of causal allergens may be discussed with the patient and other members of his or her household. The therapeutic success of different sanitation measures depends on the individual clinical relevance of those allergens avoided, as well as on the efficacy of the measures actually taken (Kniest 1990). Anamnestic results and laboratory data (such as Phadiatop results) collected to arrive at the diagnosis of ‘allergic disease’ do not usually provide a complete basis for an effective avoidance plan. In this chapter we will try to show a structured way to arrive at effective sanitation procedures