Virginia Beach, November 2010 – As a Hampton Roads leader in food allergy diagnosis and treatment, Allergy and Asthma Specialists hosted the launch of the Food Allergy Association of Virginia Beach on Nov. 11, 2010.

Attendees mingled, enjoyed allergy-free snacks from Navan Foods, and heard about food allergies from Allergy & Asthma’s 3 board certified Allergists, who have the latest information on the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies.

Navan Foods has more than 1,000 allergy friendly products ranging from cookies to personal care products and provided a table full of foods for guests to sample.

More than 20 folks attended the launch, including adults with food allergies and adults with children suffering from food allergies. Parents used the opportunity to learn about the advances made in food allergy diagnosis and treatment, and to ask questions about the treatment they are currently receiving.

“While 30 percent of Americans think they have food allergies, studies show only 8 percent of children and 5 percent of adults actually have food allergies,” said Dr. Gary Moss of Allergy & Asthma Specialists. “Things that you were told 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, are completely wrong. What we now know about food allergies and how we approach food allergies is rapidly evolving.”

“A misdiagnosis done in 25 minutes with the wrong procedure can have you paying the price for 25 years,” said Dr. Greg Pendell of Allergy & Asthma Specialists. “The most important part of testing is patient history, and that’s what our Allergists focus on.”

Dr. Craig Koenig of Allergy & Asthma Specialists educated attendees about food allergy testing that is proven and reliable and food allergy testing that is not, such as IGG and ALCAT food allergy tests. These tests are often performed and read incorrectly by a doctor not professionally trained as an Allergist, leading to misdiagnosis and creating additional and unnecessary problems for the patient. “We’ve helped children who have had Ricketts due to a food allergy misdiagnosis that had them eating almost nothing. We’ve also helped older folks who lose too much weight when misdiagnosed with a food allergy. The right testing can expand your diet.”

During the entire event, parents were encouraged to ask questions at any time so they could cross reference what they were hearing from their Allergist or health care provider. Questions covered:
• Food labels
• Truth in labeling
• Restaurants with staff not trained on food allergies
• Breast feeding
• Can allergens remain on food processing equipment as it
  processes different food items throughout the day
• Can a reaction decrease in severity over time
• Is this food allergy study or that study correct.

Dr. Gary Moss talks with Food Allergy patients at the launch of the Food Allergy Association of Virginia Beach.

Attendees sample allergy-free snacks courtesy of Navan Foods.

(L-R) Dr. Greg Pendell and Dr. Craig Koenig talk with Navan Foods president Jennifer Elizondo at the launch.

Learning the importance of reading food labels, and whether they can be completely trusted, was a big topic at the FAAVB launch.