Crack the Food Allergy Maze: 
get diagnosed on-line
Confused about food allergy/intolerance?
Wonder how you get diagnosed?
Dairy? Wheat? Gluten? Nuts? Soy? Additives?
An eBook to start you on your food allergy path.
Dr Rodney Ford
MD MBBS FRACP
ISBN 978-0-473-20938-4
Copyright 2012  Dr Rodney Ford
Published by Dr Rodney Ford at Smashwords
http://www.DrRodneyFord.com
This book is not available in print.
Dedication: to so many of my patients
 who have made this book possible.
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Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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What this book is about
Dr Rodney Ford has written this eBook to get you thinking about the possibility of food allergy/ intolerance.  He is a pediatric gastroenterologist and allergist and is recognized worldwide as an expert on adverse food reactions. He has found that so many people are confused about the possibility of reactions to foods.  How can you find out if food affect you?
Do you wonder if you, or your children, might be getting unwell by eating dairy? wheat? gluten? nuts? soy? additives? or something else?
If you need specific help with diagnosis, you can get specific advice through our on-line eClinic (details in Chapter 4). This girl had multiple food allergy and got better.

This eBook is written to help you on your food allergy quest.  It tells you how you can get through the Food Allergy Maze.
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CONTENTS
Chapter 1.  How do you recognize food allergy?
The Big List: common food allergy symptoms
Symptom list from “Dangerous Grains” 
Poor health – run down
Common food allergens
Other food reactions
Multiple food allergy
Chapter 2.  How common is food allergy – who gets it?
Who is affected? Families?
The allergy switch – how allergies develop in babies
The “Allergic March”
What causes allergies?
Other allergy influences could include:
Food allergy prevalence
Is it a “virus” or food allergy?
Find out if you have a food allergy/ intolerance
Chapter 3.  Getting well again
Finding your health again
You will not be Dr Ford’s patient
Who is Dr Rodney Ford?
Dr Ford’s qualifications
Expert on food allergy
Chapter 4.  Questions all about the eClinic
What is the purpose of the eClinic?
Who could be helped by the eClinic?
With what sort of symptoms can you be helped?
Can you trust Dr Ford’s opinion?
What guarantees do you have?
How best to use the eClinic?
How is your own doctor involved?
Why set up an eClinic?
Disclaimer
Chapter 5.  Web links and books by Dr Rodney Ford

~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1.  How do you recognize food allergy?
About one-in-four people suffer from some sort of food reaction.

The Big List: common food allergy symptoms
Just about any symptoms can be caused by a food allergy/ intolerance.  There are no specific food allergy symptoms.  This means that if you have on-going health troubles, then this could be due to food allergy.  So how can you tell?
First, check out your symptoms. There is a “Big List” of symptoms that people get with food allergy / intolerance.  The symptoms of food allergy are wide and varied.  Symptoms will also depend on your genetic, metabolic and biochemical response.  Also, symptoms will also vary with the type and quantity of food allergen exposure.
Look at the “ Big List”: it includes skin, respiratory, gut and brain symptoms. 
Skin
Eczema
Urticaria (wheals, welts) / Hives
Dermatitis / Rashes
Dry skin
Itchy skin
Gut/ bowel/ intestine/ growth
Gastric reflux / GORD/ GERD
Colic
Diarrhea 
Constipation
Food Refusal / poor eater
Local problems in or around the mouth
Abdominal pain / tummy ache
Recurrent vomiting
Nausea
Poor growth/ Failure to thrive
 Short
Brain
Irritability
Tired/ lack of energy
Exhausted
Muscle weakness
Headaches / Migraine
Behavior disturbance
Poor concentration
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
Autism 
Respiratory
Runny nose
Sneezing
Cough 
Wheeze
Ear troubles
Symptom list of “Dangerous Grains” 
There are much longer and detailed lists of symptoms and illnesses that have been compiled by a number of authors.
For instance, Dr Ron Hogan, in his book “Dangerous Grains” devotes a full 16-page appendix to catalogue all of the reported symptoms of celiac/gluten sensitivity.  It is a worrying list. The implication is that any chronic symptoms can be the result of a food-adverse-reaction.
Another example is in Dr Rodney Ford’s book “Full of it: the shocking truth about gluten”.  This is an entire book to document the neurological impact of gluten on the nerves and brain – causing a host of problems. Again
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Poor health – run down
Many children with food allergy/ intolerance can be described as "Sick, tired and grumpy".  They are often “run down” and feel lethargic. They seem to catch everything that is going around.  They often want to just laze around and watch the screen.  They seem to have lost the spark of childhood.
Sometimes these children might be thought to be “naughty”.  They are grumpy, can be irritable.  They are often said to have “behavior problems”.  However, these symptoms can often be explained by them feeling unwell.  They do not feel up to fitting in with your plans.  They cannot be bothered to make an effort - hence the whinging and irritability.  
Dr Rodney Ford’s has documented many stories of these sort of children in his book “The book for the Sick, Tired, and Grumpy”.  Parents of 50 children took the opportunity to write down their experiences about their children’s symptoms from gluten. 
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Common food allergens
Just about any food protein, and nearly any food chemical, has been implicated in causing symptoms at one time or another, in someone. 

It seems that “anything goes” in food-reactions.   However, the most common food allergy complaints come from a narrow range of foods:
Gluten
Wheat
Cow’s milk
Eggs
Peanut
Soy
Tree nuts
Seafood
Shellfish
These are the first, foods to think about and there are useful tests to help sort these out.  Elimination and challenge can also help confirm or deny these foods as suspects.
Other food reactions
There are also many other types of food reaction, such as: 
Lactose intolerance
Fructose intolerance
Sucrose intolerance
Food chemical sensitivity (MSG, Amines, Salicylates, Sulphates)
Oral food allergy syndrome
Fat “intolerance”
Each if these problems need to be looked at systematically.  These conditions are beyond the scope of this eBook.   See our website http://www.DrRodneyFord.com for more information.
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Multiple food allergy
Some children have severe and multiple allergies from an early age. They commonly are allergic to cow's milk, egg, wheat and peanuts.  Usually this is associated with extensive eczema. 
Eczema is a very common symptom of food allergy.
These children may subsequently become gluten intolerant when wheat-based foods are introduced into their diet.  Some eczema babies will go on to develop childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever).  These children may remain highly allergic to lots of foods and environmental allergens throughout their childhood ... and sometimes into adulthood.
These children need ongoing testing and supervision.  As their food and inhalant allergens triggers change, they can be identified and eliminated from their diet and/or their environment. 
Children and adults who have multiple food allergies, who need a highly restrictive diet, should be under the on-going care of a health professional with appropriate nutritional training.
Probiotics and antihistamines can be used to help switch off their allergic response.
~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 2.  How common is food allergy – who gets it?
We see thousands of families in our clinic.  We listen to their problems, we test them, we treat them and we get most of them better.  Food allergy is so very common, but under-diagnosed.

Who is affected? Families?
Allergies tend to run in families. “Atopy” is a word used to describe allergic people.  If you have allergic parents or siblings, then you have a much higher chance of getting allergies yourself.
If one parent has allergies, the child has about a 20% risk of developing allergies.
This risk is doubled (40% risk) if both parents have allergies.
If both parents have the same allergy (for instance if they both have eczema), then their children have a 70% risk of having the same allergy.
Children from non-atopic (non-allergic) families still have a 12% risk of developing an allergy.
Other factors that may promote allergies.  These include:
Birth by caesarean section
Frequent courses of antibiotics
Coming from a smaller family (with just one or two children)
Passive cigarette smoke inhalation.
Early introduction of cow’s milk proteins.
The baby's environment during the first year is also important.  Early exposure to dust mites, pollens, pets and certain foods (especially cow’s milk) increases the likelihood of becoming allergic.
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The allergy switch – how allergies develop in babies 
At birth, the baby’s immune system appears to get setup in either the “allergy mode” (which we want to avoid) or the “non-allergy mode”.  This initial setup depends upon both genetics and the environment.  It now seems that the bugs/bacteria in the gut are especially important.  The evidence is that the bacteria which first get established in the gut have a big influence on whether you will become an allergy person.
The Switch.  This allergy switching (on or off) is thought to be directed by the immune cells in the gut. The allergy-prone cells are called TH2, whilst the non-allergy prone cells are called TH1. 
The more technical details:  The “TH” stands for T-Helper type white blood cells.  These TH cells are important in the immune system.  They have many functions in the body, including activating and directing other immune cells.  It is this diversity of function and their role in influencing other cells that gives T helper cells their name.  TH1 immunity is good for fighting bacteria and viruses, and protecting against allergies. TH2 immunity is good at fighting parasite infections, but makes us more vulnerable to develop allergies.
If there's a family history of allergies, a child is much more likely to switch on TH2 immunity.  Unfortunately, this promotes the production of excessive amounts of the allergy-related “Immunoglobulin E” (IgE) in the bloodstream.  It is this IgE antibody that latches on to allergens and subsequently triggers allergic reactions. 
So we need to turn off the allergy switch. 
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The “Allergic March”
The term “allergic march” is used to describe the progression of allergy as it changes from one expression of allergy to the next, as the years go by.
Gut and skin: The first cluster of symptoms in early childhood (that is the first few years) are usually driven by food allergies: this shows up as gastrointestinal symptoms such as reflux and colic, skin symptoms such as eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) and hives /urticaria.
Chest and nose: The next cluster of symptoms in later childhood (that is around 3 to 6 years) are respiratory, such as allergic rhinitis (also called hay-fever) and allergy associated asthma. 
In other words, the allergy pattern is that food allergies and eczema usually precede the development of the respiratory problems of allergic rhinitis and asthma. 
Eczema and most food allergies (milk, soy, and egg) generally disappear or improve during the preschool years. But hay fever and asthma, and some food allergies (especially nuts, shellfish and seafood) often persist into adulthood.
Gluten sensitivity is usually a lifetime problem.  You do not grow out of this.
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What causes allergies?
There is an epidemic of allergies, especially food allergy and food intolerances.
The incidence of these allergies/intolerances has risen over the past four decades: more than a doubling.  Why is this so?  Well the cause is likely to be environmental.  On the one hand, more and more of the things that promote allergies (plants, pollens, chemicals, and refined foods) are being added to our environment.  On the other hand, things that previously protected us against allergies (good bugs in our guts, low allergen plants, reduced bio-diversity, plain unrefined foods) are steadily being removed.
As mentioned before, some families are genetically predisposed to allergies. However, too early exposure to potentially allergenic foods increases the incidence of infant food allergies. But too delayed introduction of allergenic foods can also lead to sensitisation.  Thus, allergenic foods should be introduced to the infant diet at around 4-6 months of age. This topic is currently being debated.  See the ASCIA website. 
The other big factor is the “Hygiene Hypothesis” which is gathering acceptance.  It refers to our increased personal cleanliness.  This seems to have interfered with the workings of our immune system, especially in our gut.  Being “too clean” seems to be promoting the development of allergy.  The evidence shows that children who are brought up in clean, sterile homes, with early exposure to antibiotics, are more prone to allergy development than those who are exposed to household dirt, other siblings and the usual childhood viruses.
To overcome this too-clean-environment, the routine use of probiotics from birth is being advocated.  Indeed, infant formula manufacturers are now adding probiotics and prebiotics to these products.
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Other allergy influences could include:
Global warming might have had an impact on the changing incidence of allergy. Changing patterns of natural vegetation and more profuse pollen production could be inducing more respiratory allergy.
Switching from aspirin to paracetamol with allergy and asthma symptoms most prevalent in countries with high medium to high use of paracetamol in childhood.
More antibiotic use during childhood, and the liberal use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Advice to avoid dust and pets in newborns from allergic families. 
Food allergy - how common?
Food allergy is becoming an increasing problem worldwide, with an estimated 10% of children being affected at some point in their childhood.  That is one-in-ten affected.
The incidence of intolerance or sensitivity to food is estimated to affect another 10% of children.
This means that overall, one-in-five children are in some way adversely affected by some foods.
Total allergies (to both food and air-born allergens) are the most frequently reported chronic conditions in children.  Sadly, this can be limiting in activities for more than 40% of these children. Of concern, long term behaviour and social implications are seen in many of these allergy sufferers.
Staggeringly, it seems that about 1-in-4 (25%) of our children are in some way affected by the food that they eat and the air that they breathe.  We are endeavouring to help them.
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Is it a “virus” or food allergy?
How many times have you been told that “It is just a virus”?  Most doctors assign symptoms to “viruses” without ever investigating the possibility of a food allergy. 
There is usually no proof that viruses are the cause all of these childhood symptoms.  But, when you take your child to the doctor with these common symptoms that could be from a food allergy (such as diarrhoea, tiredness, lethargy or a rash), your doctor will simply attribute these symptoms to a “non-specific virus illness”. 
Could it be that the majority of these so called childhood viruses are actually food allergies?  From Dr Ford’s clinical experience the answer is a resounding yes!  That is why he has set up the eClinic. 
Your child who seems to always be run down and catching everything that is going round, does not have a virus.  More likely your child has the chronic symptoms of food allergy/ intolerance.
~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3.  Getting well again
The thing is that the symptoms that you feel in your body (such as: headache, sore tummy, runny nose, rashes etc) are not specific to any disease.  Your symptoms can be derived from an infection, from an autoimmune disease, from a cancer, and very commonly from food allergy/intolerance.  
In our clinic, our patients and children want to get well again. But without a diagnosis, it becomes a guessing game. 

"Do wonder if you or your child have a food allergy/ intolerance/ sensitivity?" This is the question that everyone is now asking. How can you find out?
The bottom line is this: if you (or your child) have ongoing troublesome symptoms that remain unexplained, then some sort of food allergy/ intolerance/ sensitivity is likely.
Expert allergy help wanted
But expert allergy help can be difficult to access.  A third of the population have undiagnosed allergy problems.  To meet this need, we have designed you a “roadmap” so that you can easily find your way through the Food Allergy Maze.  We have called this web-based program the Food Allergy eClinic.
The eClinic has been created to breakdown this barrier, giving everyone instant access to professional medical allergy help. Yes, the best way that I can personally give you individual and specific help is by going through the eClinic.
All you need to do is to follow the step-by-step directions.  You get:
Specific individualized guidance which you can carry out with your own Health Practitioner.
Access to appropriate blood tests, diagnostic systems and specific treatment plans.
Immediate help for diagnosis and management, on-line.
Do you feel "fobbed off"?
Do you feel lost about what to do next?
This is why we have called this eBook "Food Allergy Maze: How to get through."  We spend all day in our Clinic helping people through this food-allergy-maze. 
A lot of people make appointments to see us seem “lost” in their search for better health.  They want to feel better again.  They have been experiencing on-going symptoms, but cannot find help to get better.   They have seen a lot of other health professionals, but have not found any answers.
They often feel "fobbed off" or "not listened to". 
"He will just grow out of it!" How many times have a heard this.  I have just seen a boy with severe eczema, food allergies, who is quite miserable.  His mother is doing the best that she can but each time she takes him to her doctors they say “he will just grow out of it”.  How irritating for the parents to hear this each time.  This means that his doctor does not know how to manage allergies and is just fobbing these parents off. 
The same doctor is unlikely to say “just get over it”  to an adult with Rheumatoid Arthritis or Heart Disease.  In my opinion, established disease which causes symptoms should be managed – not ignored!  Children with eczema and other allergies can very much be helped. These symptoms should be the trigger  to think about food allergy/ intolerance.
In our allergy clinic (the Childrens Clinic | Allergy centre, Christchurch), every day we see children who have been suffering with allergies for years but without anyone really getting to the bottom of the problem.  These children need investigation (usually skin tests or blood tests).  Their allergies need to be clearly documented and a management plan implemented.  This is what we do in The Children’s Clinic: where we take allergies seriously.   This is what the eClinic has been designed to do, on-line.

Do you (or your child) still have a tummy ache, or still feel tired, or still have gastric reflux, or still have eczema that won’t go away, or still need to take medications.  Is this you?  Is this your child?  Perhaps diet rather than drugs could be the answer. 
People with these ongoing health problems are often not sure what else they can do, or how to do it.  They feel as if they are in a health maze - they need a map to find their way through.  This is the purpose of the web-based eClinic, for people who cannot get to our actual physical Clinic for an appointment.
Follow our “road” signs. 
You can get specific directions from the eClinic about what you should do on your “health journey".  However, you will have to take the steps yourself.  

You will be given lots of information (our road signs) to go to your GP or health adviser to get the appropriate tests and management.  It will be your responsibility to go and get the recommended tests.
Understand the meaning of your test results. Every day in the clinic we see miss-interpreted test results of our patients.  They have had blood test or skin test, but the implications from these results has been missed.
The eClinic has a results program that can help you interpret your test results.  You will be given specific interpretation of the blood tests and skin tests that you have had.  Based on these results, you will be get advice about what to do next.  You will need to go back to your GP, or other health professional, for assistance with your on-going management.
Why set up an eClinic?
Colic, reflux, eczema, tiredness, lethargy and many other common childhood complaints often go untreated, or they are inappropriately treated when allergy food-profiling is not used as a diagnostic tool.  Often parents are told that this is a phase that their child “will grow out of it!”  However, this is not very comforting when it is three in the morning and your child has been crying in distress for hours and hours. 

Dr Ford has set up the eClinic for people who are unable to see him (for geographical and/ or financial reasons).  It is impossible for Dr Ford to see everyone who wants to see him face-to-face.  There just isn’t the time in the day.  So the only practical solution is this eClinic.
10% of the world (half a billion people), or more, are adversely affected by The Gluten Syndrome; but they are unaware of it.  The eClinic Project is to awaken these people to their illness and offer them a solution.  All of these people need this information – but accurate medical help is often not available locally.
The eClinic is to tell the world about Food Allergy/intolerance and The Gluten Syndrome to help these hundreds of millions of people at last feel well again.  The only way to achieve this is through cyberspace. The next Chapter tells you more about the eClinic. 
~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 4.  The eClinic – on-line diagnosis | management
Dr Rodney Ford says “The eClinic website has been created out of my feelings of frustration.  I get queries every day from all around the world asking me to help.  This has been overwhelming.  I want to help everybody.  The only way that I could cope with all of these demands was to set up an intelligent system to help everyone personally on the web.”
“The finished system is now called the eClinic.  It gives my directions in a step-by-step management process.  The concept is to make available my specialist paediatric advice to everyone, with the help their own doctor.” 

If you have not already used the eClinic, then here is detailed information about how it works and what you can get out of it.
The purpose of the eClinic is to help your children (or you) work out if you have a food allergy/ intolerance, and then get better.  If you have an underlying health problem that has not yet been sorted out, then this might be caused by a food-related-disorder.  The eClinic concept is to give my specialist allergy advice through assisting your medical practitioner.
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You will not be Dr Ford’s patient
Please note that you will not be a patient of Dr Ford.  You are the patient of your own General Practitioner / Health Professional.   Dr Ford can give you specific directions and guidance for you to help get appropriate treatment from your own doctor.  He looks forward to helping you navigate your way through, and crack the Food Allergy Maze. 
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Is Dr Rodney Ford an expert?
Dr Ford’s academic qualifications:
Associate Professor (University of Otago, Christchurch School of Medicine).
MD (Doctorate in Medicine) 1982. Thesis: "Food hypersensitivity in children: Diagnostic approaches to milk and egg hypersensitivity”.
FRACP (Fellow Royal Australasian College of Physicians) 1981.
MB BS (Honours, NSWU, Australia) 1972.
Dr Ford is a paediatrician, allergist and gastroenterologist. He has set up the eClinic to replicate how he works in his Clinic | Allergy Centre so he help you work out if your health problems might stem from a food intolerance/allergy. 
He says, "It makes me sad to see so many people who have suffered for years with undiagnosed food reactions. This is terrible!  I want people to know that a lot of their ill health might be caused by unrecognized food intolerance reactions, especially to gluten."
You can have confidence in that he has spent that last 30 years of clinical work helping families (mums, dads and children) unscramble their food allergy problems.  He ran the Allergy Service at Christchurch Hospital for nearly 20 years.  He was the first to describe "The Gluten Syndrome".
He has extensively written and presented on the areas of nutrition, food allergy, gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, the gluten syndrome, and eczema. He has pioneered work in cot death (SIDS), breastfeeding, smoking cessation in pregnancy and apnoea. 
With his wife, Chris Ford and daughter, Liz Fazakarley, he has written many books on food allergy, gluten and nutritional health to inform on the adverse affects of food on our health. People say that these books are easy to read and extremely informative. 
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Who could be helped by the eClinic?
Do you think there is something wrong with you or your child? ... but you do not know how to find out more about the problem.
Does your child have troublesome symptoms? ... but you are unsure what you should do next. 
Do you suspect a food allergy/intolerance? ... but do not know how to get qualified expert medical help?
If you can answer “Yes” to any of these questions, then you are likely to get a lot of help from the eClinic process. If you do, then you can feel better.  If not, then you can request a refund of your payment.
With what sort of symptoms can you be helped?
The eClinic can help you (or your children) to work out problems such as:
Eczema/ rashes
Tummy pain/ bloating
Constipation/ diarrhoea
Irritability/ tiredness
Headache/ migraine
Learning problems/ behaviour issues
See the "Big List" of symptoms in the first chapter.
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What guarantees do you have?
Dr Ford guarantees the eClinic Process.  If you are dissatisfied with his advice given through the eClinic, then he offers to return your payment: a money-back-guarantee (he will ask you to describe your dissatisfaction, so that he can learn to give an improved experience for other people).  Dr Ford guarantees that all the management and interpretations are based on sound scientific medical research and observations.  He is a fully qualified/certified Paediatric Allergy and Gastroenterology Specialist.  He holds a current “Practicing Certificate” from the Medical Council of New Zealand.  He holds current membership of the “Royal Australasian College of Physicians” (FRACP).
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How best to use the eClinic?
You can use the eClinic website in several ways:
Browse the vast information content to understand the concepts about allergy, food allergy/intolerance.
Log-on and become a registered member (this is free of charge).  This allows you to access much more of the eClinic website.
Go to the eClinic to have your individual “allergy consultation”, where you can create your own personal allergy profile (called your "eReport”) which will take you about 20 minutes to do.
Participate in discussions on Dr Ford’s Blog/ FaceBook – where he talks you about latest ideas, about people's experience and new research.
How is your own doctor involved?
Your own health practitioner has a central role in the eClinic Process (as this is a process to help both you and your doctor to work out the food-allergy side of your symptoms). 
The eClinic does not have any “patients”.  The eClinic Process can only give advice that your own health professional can follow, if appropriate.  When you have done your eClinic session, you get an “eReport”.  You are asked to take this to your own doctor/health professional, who can assist you with the treatment of your problems.

You will need help from your own health practitioner with:
Getting your physical examination.
Organising the recommended blood tests and/or skin prick tests.
Arranging any special milk formulas.
Having appropriate medications prescribed.
Organising any X-rays or endoscopies.
Referral to any relevant specialists or dieticians.
You might like to ask your doctor to help you enter the blood tests results into “Tests Results” at the eClinic.   The eClinic concept is to give Dr Ford’s specialist paediatric advice through your medical practitioner. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is designed as an educational aid only.  It is not intended to replace the advice and care of your own physician or health practitioner.  The diagnostic and treatment advice is provided to be used in conjunction with your own medical practitioner. If you suspect that you, or your child, have a medical condition, then always consult your medical practitioner. The eClinic does not have any patients. 
~~~~~~~~~~oOo~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 5. Web links and books
Final Words
Food allergy affects millions of people (especially children), some only mildly but others have severe problems.  Most allergy symptoms are common symptoms, which are often wrongly attributed to a virus.
I hope that you have found this eBook helpful. Best wishes, Dr Rodney Ford.
http://www.DrRodneyFord.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
eBook Series
Our series of gluten and food allergy ebooks includes:
Food Allergy: Food  (for newly diagnosed food-allergy children) 
Food Allergies: What Symptoms?  (concepts, symptoms and problems of food allergy)
Eczema! Cure It! (Find the triggers for eczema, then switch them off)
Gluten-free Diet: How to Start (for people wanting to know how to start a gluten free diet)
The Gluten Syndrome: is wheat causing you harm? (Gluten suffers now have a name for their problem)
[In preparation - Food Allergy: Test & Treat (details about blood tests, medications and anaphylaxis)]
Web-links:
Dr Rodney Ford’s Food Allergy eClinic (to the eClinic)
Landmark paper that details the many diseases that are caused by gluten.
"The Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification".
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7015-10-13.pdf
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology:
http://www.aaaai.org
Discussion on optimal age to introduce solids.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/350/287/
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######
About the author: Dr Rodney Ford
Dr Rodney Ford 
Professor.  MB BS MD FRACP MCCCH  ASM

Dr Rodney Ford is a paediatric gastroenterologist, allergist and nutrition consultant.  He is former Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.  He is recognized worldwide as an expert on adverse food reactions.
His major area of interest is the relationship between your food and your health – good or bad. In his clinics he is constantly seeing people who are suffering from eating foods that are making them ill.  He has been interested in the relationship between eczema and food allergy for a long time.  More recently, he has discovered that gluten plays a large part in causing eczema.
Dr Ford graduated with Honours from the University of New South Wales in 1974 (MB BS). He went on to study food allergy and intolerance problems in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in Paediatrics (FRACP) in 1981 and was awarded his Doctorate of Medicine (MD) by the University of New South Wales in 1982 for his thesis titled Food hypersensitivity in children: diagnostic approaches to milk and egg hypersensitivity. This was regarded as a major work regarding the diagnosis of food allergies in children.
Dr Ford currently runs The Children’s Clinic and Allergy Centre, a busy private clinic in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has written over one hundred scientific papers, including book chapters and many books.
Discover more titles by Dr Rodney Ford
The Gluten Syndrome: is wheat causing you harm?
This book brings together the pieces of the gluten puzzle. Find out all you want to know about gluten-illness: it attacks you brain, skin and guts.
Full Of It! The shocking truth about gluten.
The brain–grain connection.  Gluten sensitivity is primarily a brain disease.  Find out how gluten harms your brain and nerves.
Are You Gluten-Sensitive? Your questions answered.
Being gluten-sensitive is not the same as having celiac disease. It is very common. It affects one-in-ten people. Could it be affecting you? If so, how would you know? Get answers.
The book for the Sick, Tired and Grumpy.
Are you getting the “run-around” with your health concerns? Are you getting frustrated with no real answers? This presents 50 clinical stories of gluten sensitivity.
Going Gluten-Free: how to get started.
Dr Fords clinic patients demanded this book – he wrote it – now you can have it as well.
The Gluten-Free Lunch Book.
Get help stay gluten-free with some great gluten-free food ideas.
Gluten-Free Parties and Picnics.
For your children in a story-book format, in full colour. Get heaps of great gluten-free party and picnic ideas.
The Energy Effect: your questions answered.
Find out how to live each day with incredible High Energy. Dr Ford shows you how to use the combination of your body, brain and spirit to create The Energy Effect.
Eczema! Cure It!
Your complete "do-it-yourself" book to help you with eczema.  It tells you how to find the triggers for eczema – and then what to do about it.  Based on Dr Ford’s research in his allergy clinic, he tells you all the secrets he has learned to get rid of eczema!
Click on this link for: More information about Dr Ford’s books
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Personal invitation to visit the Food Allergy eClinic
If you want much more personal help for you, or your family,
I have set up the Food Allergy eClinic.
The eClinic gives you Dr Ford's expert guidance on food allergy| intolerance| gluten| celiac.  You can use this online service to get immediate and specific advice and guidance.
http://www.drrodneyford.com/index.php?option=com_allergy
Heidi says about the eClinic on Facebook
“Dr. Ford: Your eClinic is absolutely wonderful! I used it over the summer for my 3 year old (after 2 years of visits with various specialists, dozens of tests, too many prescriptions to count and no answers) ... after 15 minutes on your eClinic, I had a list of things go over with his pediatrician, including the printed letters from you and that is when we finally discovered his egg allergy and casein intolerance.  Just 2 weeks off of those foods and his severe eczema and cradle cap were 100% gone! You are blessing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do.
See more comments on this link: Feedback from users of the eClinic
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Connect with Dr Rodney Ford Online:
Clinic Website: http://www.thechildrensclinic.co.nz
Website: http://www.DrRodneyFord.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/DrRodneyFord
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Allergy.eClinic
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DrRodneyFord
Blog: http://gluten-freeplanet.blogspot.com
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