Homeopathy has a long history of use in the United States, dating back to the early 19th century, but there's no scientific proof that it has any medical benefits. Nonetheless, around 3.9 million American adults used homeopathic remedies in 2007, according to the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine. (ref 1) If you suspect you have allergies but don't want to undergo conventional medical testing, you may consider using a homeopathic allergy testing kit. You can't interpret the results of these kits at home. Ask your doctor before using a homeopathic allergy test kit to diagnose allergies.
Homeopathic Principals
Homeopathy operates on the theory that "like cures like," meaning that inducing the symptoms of a disease can cure it. Homeopathic remedies contain little or no active ingredients. Instead, a substance undergoes numerous dilutions with a diluent until only its "essence" remains. Homeopathic allergy testing kits don't use conventional testing, which involves inoculating the skin with a small amount of the allergen and watching for a skin reaction. This type of allergy testing should only be done in a medical office, in case of severe reaction.
Blood Testing Kits
You can purchase homeopathic allergy test kits that require you to place a drop of blood in well plates coated with different food antigens. You send the entire kit to a practitioner who interprets the results for you; you don't read them yourself. Dr. Sheryl Miller, clinical laboratory director at the Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic, says that there is no clinically proven correlation between IgG levels and specific food allergies.
What They Test
Homeopathic blood tests claims to measure the IgG response to different substances. People with allergies often have high levels of circulating antibodies. The IgG test is an immune test that looks for food antibodies that bind to antigens. Conventional medicine measures IgE in allergy testing, which shows that the body has responded to an allergen, but doesn't specify which allergen caused the IgE to rise. This test is also known as a radioallergosorbent test, or RAST. In addition to the fact that homeopathic test kits have no proven benefit, many test only a few substances. If you want to test for numerous substances, you must purchase a number of different tests.
Applied Kinesiology
Kinesiology kits are used only by homeopathic practitioners and others trained in the method. Glass vials containing allergens are placed on the skin; in some cases, you pour the substance in your mouth. If you have an allergy to the substance, you experience a muscle response that the practitioner interprets. This method has no scientific backing or proof that it works, Dr. Stephen Barrett reports on the watchdog website, Quackwatch.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients: IgG Food Allergy Testing by ELISA/EIA What Do They Really Tell Us?
- LabTestsOnline.com: Allergy Testing
- Healthandgoodness.com: Allergy Testing Methods
- forrest health: Food Allergy Testing
- Quackwatch: Applied Kinesiology: Phony Muscle-Testing for "Allergies" and "Nutrient Deficiencies"
