If you've been diagnosed with a soy bean allergy, treating the condition is most effective when you eliminate soy products from your diet. This may be more difficult than it first appears because soy is found many processed foods, such as ice cream, meats and ketchup. Treatment for a soy bean allergy begins with a clinical diagnosis, diet modification and medication if you accidentally ingest soy. Do not attempt to treat yourself for a soy allergy without a clinical diagnosis from your doctor. Your symptoms may be the result of another closely related condition, such as soy intolerance.
Background
Soy beans are one of the most common food allergies in the United States. Soy beans are used to make soy-based products, such as soy milk, tofu and miso. If you're allergic to soy beans, your immune system overreacts to the proteins found in soy. The body creates IgE antibodies, or immunoglobulin E, to fight the soy proteins. The creation of these antibodies causes a chain-reaction in the body, releasing histamine. Histamine is biochemical that plays a role in immune system response and causes swelling and inflammation.
Diagnosis
You cannot treat a soy allergy without first receiving a diagnosis from a medical professional. To acquire a diagnosis, your doctor may recommend blood tests, skin tests and an elimination diet. Blood tests and skin tests both expose the body to soy proteins to see if it responds by creating IgE antibodies. During a skin test, soy proteins are injected under your skin and the allergist observes if the skin becomes inflamed, red or irritated. An elimination diet removes all soy products from your diet for two weeks and then slowly introduces soy again to see how the body reacts.
Diet Modification
The Cleveland Clinic states that the most effective treatment for a soy allergy is to modify your diet. The federal government requires that labels on all packaged foods clearly state if they contain soy. Read all the ingredients before ingesting a product. Common ingredients that contain soy include: soy milk, soy curd, soya, soy nuts, tofu, textured vegetable protein and edamame. When eating out, tell your server that you're allergic to soy.
Medication
If you accidentally ingest soy, some medications may help alleviate your symptoms. Antihistamines can be used to reduce the amount of histamine released by the body. Hydrocortisone cream can be used to treat skin rashes or inflammation. If you experience anaphylactic shock, you may need an injection of epinephrine to treat symptoms.
