An oral challenge is a test to evaluate for food allergy. For example, if the doctor thinks that you have outgrown a peanut allergy, we will have the patient eat the food in small increasing doses over the course of a few hours in the office. This will accurately confirm if the food is safe to eat at home or not.

How do I prepare for a food challenge?

You should be feeling well and not having a cold or asthma attack. You should also be off of antihistamines for 3 days so no mild reactions are masked by the medication.

You will need to bring in the food for your oral challenge, the medical team will give you instructions on what to bring and how much.

How long will I be in the office?

A typical challenge takes about 2 hours so you should bring a book or some form of entertainment. We start the challenge with a baseline physical exam and then check a peak flow to monitor your breathing every 15-30 minutes. We start with a very small amount of food and then gradually increase over the course of the first 60-90 minutes. After that begins an observation period to make sure there are no reactions.

What are the risks of a food challenge?

We only perform challenges on patients that have a greater than 50% chance of passing. There is always a risk of allergic reaction with a challenge. It can be sneezing, congestion, hives or even anaphylaxis. We monitor patients very closely during an oral challenge to minimize the chance of a reaction.