Which doctor?
Which doctor should be consulted in the case of an existing food intolerance depends first of all on the time of the determination or the age of the patient. For children, a pediatrician (paediatrician) should be consulted primarily. The pediatrician is generally familiar with the initial clinical symptoms of the various food intolerances.
In addition to a simple intolerance, metabolic diseases or severe allergies can also be behind the symptoms. Through the experience of practicing pediatricians, such cases are usually recognized quickly and the child can be helped. If adults notice that they cannot tolerate a food, they can first consult their attending family doctor (usually a general practitioner, sometimes also a resident internist).
This is a widespread disease that occurs in all social classes and regardless of gender. The family doctor can often already give the patient a diagnosis and advice on how to deal with the disorder correctly. For further clarification or in case of serious courses of the disease, a referral to a specialist can be made.
Since problems with certain foods are involved, the gastroenterologist is the right person to contact. These can be found in hospitals, but also as doctors in private practice. The gastroenterologist deals specifically with the gastrointestinal tract and its diseases.
If food intolerance leads to skin-related symptoms such as rashes, a dermatologist may also be consulted. Many dermatologists, as well as pediatricians and general practitioners, have in the course of their training completed the further qualification as allergologist, a special training that deals with allergies. Since food intolerance is often related to allergies, affected patients are in the right place.
Diarrhea
Food intolerances can trigger a wide variety of symptoms. Besides skin symptoms, problems with the digestive tract are probably the most common signs of intolerance. If a foodstuff is not tolerated, diarrhoea can therefore occur.
This is directly related to food intake and usually ends when the food in question is no longer consumed. If the diarrhoea lasts for a longer period of time, this probably has another cause – for example, there is an infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhoea can also occur when eating spoiled food, as the body is poisoned in this case.
However, this intolerance is only noticed once (if the spoiled food is not consumed repeatedly). If the negative effect is limited, the patient can easily test again and independently whether the food intolerance is a one-time or a permanent thing. The test should be performed with fresh food.
In the case of short-lived diarrhoea attacks, the patient must drink a lot of fluids – further therapy is usually not necessary. In the case of severe diarrhea, diarrhea medication can be used to thicken the stool. However, this should be clarified with the family doctor.