SC - Allergies in general

[Jeff Gedney]

> True.  A true food allergy (according to my allergist, M.D.) involves hives
> and breathing difficulties, etc.

Perhaps you should ask your allergist to clarify that remark.
My son definitely tests allergic to corn, but does not show these symptoms.
What you are describing is a Histamine reaction to an IGE mediated 
allergen response.
That is only one of a spectrum of allergen responses.
The problem is that only Histamine reactions dependably exhibit distinct 
and unmistakeable symptoms, and therefore are the most reliably tested for 
in a clinical setting. 
Other sorts of allergic reactions require a "Double Blind Placebo Controlled" 
study, and since that can take hours or even weeks to conclude, most 
doctors are extremely reluctant to administer this kind of test. 
And almost no insurance companies will pay for them.

Even though it causes no histamine reaction, it IS a physiological  
immune response to a foriegn substance in the body. 

My son has a tested and confirmed (by a pediatric allergist at YALE Medical 
School) _allergy_, not a "sensitivity". but he does not go into respiratory 
distress, or show hives.

I urge you to read this book:

"Is This Your Child? : Discovering and Treating Unrecognized Allergies in 
Children and Adults" by by Doris J. Rapp M.D.  
    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688119077/

Brandu