Food Allergy: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin, mucous membranes [allergic contact dermatitis or contact dermatitis (redness and swelling of the skin, itching, burning, development of small vesicles, scaling); urticaria (hives); Quincke’s edema (swelling of the subcutis); atopic eczema (neurodermatitis); acne]
      • Eyes [itching; burning; watery eyes]
      • Nose/nasal mucosa [sneezing; rhinitis (runny nose; runny nose); nasal congestion; allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (symptomatic hypersensitivity reaction of the nose, inflammation of the nasal mucosa)]
      • Mouth and oral cavity [angioedema (Quincke’s edema) – massive swelling especially of the lips, eyelids, or tongue due to an allergic reaction or as a sign of a C1 esterase inhibitor defect; burning of the lip, palate, or throat]
      • Larynx (voice box) [swelling of the larynx that can cause shortness of breath]
    • Auscultation (listening) of the heart.
    • Auscultation of the lungs [bronchial asthma; cough].
    • Palpation (palpation) of abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, knocking pain?, coughing pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing knocking pain?) [abdominal pain (abdominal pain); meteorism (flatulence/flatulence abdomen]
  • If necessary, ENT examination including epipharyngoscopy (nasopharyngoscopy) and laryngoscopy (laryngoscopy) [swelling of the larynx, which can cause shortness of breath].
  • Neurologic examination, if necessary [due topossible symptoms:
    • Concentration and memory problems
    • Headaches
    • Migraine ]
  • If necessary, orthopedic examination [due topossible symptom: arthritis ]
  • If applicable, psychiatric examination [due topossible symptoms:
    • Exhaustion
    • Concentration and memory problems]

    [due topossible sequelae: anxiety]

  • Health check

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.