United Kingdom
A 25-year-old male asked:
i have health anxiety. my fear is food allergy and that my tongue is going to swell because of the food i eat. have no food allergy or other allergies?
4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. Gary Moore answered
Dentistry 35 years experience
Allergies: Look at family history, is anyone else have any allergies? Then get yourself tested by a physician for any allergic reactions to all foods.
5134 viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Douglas Tavenner, jr. answered
Cosmetic Dentistry 50 years experience
Bad Information: Tongue does not swell. It is a muscle. Its size cannot react to any food that you eat.
5124 viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Ana Adelstein answered
Clinical Psychology 27 years experience
ERP Can Help!: Excessive anxiety related to physical symptoms or a medical condition, sometimes referred to as "health anxiety" or "hypochondriasis" is typically thought of as a type of obsessive compulsive disorder: People are tormented by repeated, unwanted thoughts of their health fear: http://psychcentral.com/lib/ocd-and-health-anxiety/ It responds to Exposure and Response Prevention treatment -a form of CBT
1119 viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Jerry Brown commented
Prosthodontics 53 years experience
Consult with a nutritionally informed dentist who might help you relieve food related tongue swellings.
Jul 19, 2016

Dr. James Ferguson answered
Pediatrics 46 years experience
You ready to work ?: Worrying about a health issue you don't have is a smoke screen you erected (likely subconsciously) to shield your thoughts from your real fear. If you waste time on made up issues you can be stuck forever. If you are ready to do the work & find a good therapist to help, you can get past this but it requires looking for the real issue you fear.
496 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Oct 24, 2017
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