This menu option will probably be used more than any other.

This screen allows you to perform a search for information on any item, substance or allergen and includes:

		Background Information on the food or substance
		Adverse Reactions previously described in the literature
		Cross Reactions - if applicable
		Food Family of the food - if applicable
		Substances that may be found in the food (naturally or otherwise)
		Other items that may contain the food or substance
		References

This is the screen that opens on clicking the "Items, Substance & Allergens" button on the Main Menu.

All information found on an item, substance or allergen search is accessible from the
Tab Menu bar along the top of the screen, e.g., the image below.

Example
Step 1
Type in the food or substance in question, e.g., "Tomato" into the search box.
You can search by word, part of a word, or word only.


Then click on the "Search" button.

Step 2
A list of items containing the word "tomato" is then shown in the window below the search box.
To select "Tomato", click on the item.

This indicates what information is available for "Tomato".

So - What now?
What if Allergy Reactions are suspected?
If you suspect that the reaction experienced is an allergic reaction, take the following steps:

		Check for important Background information on the food.
		Check for allergic reactions possible in Adverse Reactions.
		Check Family Members for family links that may influence crossreactions.
		Check Crossreactions.

What if Non-Allergy Reactions are suspected?
If you suspect that the reaction experienced is not an allergic reaction,
take the following steps:

Step 4
The Possible Additional Constituents window to the right of the list of substances is very important. This window allows you to check a food or item for other substances present that may result in adverse reactions.

		For example, click on histamine in the constituent panel below:

Understanding the Risk box:
A value of between zero (0) and five (5) has been given each constituent of an item in Allergy Advisor, indicating the risk that the constituent will result in adverse reactions. Zero indicates no risk, and five indicates maximum risk. Risk assessment is, however, complex. For example, a constituent like alcohol may be toxic in its pure form, but if its presence in a foodstuff is extremely low, the risk may be categorized as 0, whereas the panallergen Chitinase is always a major risk and is categorized as 4 or 5. It must also be borne in mind that any given patient may be more susceptible than usual even to a low-rated constituent. Each assessment of risk is an estimate, and users may differ in their assessments of the relative risk of a particular constituent.

Go ahead,
 Click on Found In, Background, Adverse Reactions, Cross Reactions or Family Members on the Tab Menu shown on the image above.

Click here to return to the Main Menu.

Click on Substances, Assessment, Management, Search & WWW, or Other, to change Menus

LINKS BACK TO MENU