Food Allergies

Food allergies occur when your immune system incorrectly recognizes certain food or food ingredients as harmful and produces antibodies to combat them. Common symptoms of food allergy are hives, itching and swelling.

Most children outgrow their reactions to milk, eggs and soya; peanut and tree nut allergies may remain.

Symptoms

Food allergies occur when your immune system misidentifies certain proteins found in food as threats and produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE triggers cells to release substances that irritate and damage tissues, leading to symptoms that range from mild to severe and affect various parts of the body.

Infants often exhibit symptoms of food allergy in the form of hives-like rashes that accompany vomiting and diarrhea, while those with asthma may exhibit wheezing upon eating certain foods that trigger reactions such as wheezing. Food allergies may also trigger abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhea while certain chemicals used as preservatives or food dyes can trigger similar responses in adults.

Anaphylaxis, which involves an immediate and severe reaction to food, can be deadly if left untreated with injectable epinephrine (EpiPen). People with allergies like hay fever are at a higher risk for food allergy development.

Your healthcare provider can identify food allergies through a physical exam and thorough health history review, including when the allergic symptoms began. He or she may also conduct a skin test where liquid extracts of common foods are placed on your child’s forearm or back and pinched with pinpricks to determine whether reddish bumps appear indicating an adverse reaction.

Diagnosis

Food allergies can often be confused with other medical issues, so an accurate diagnosis is paramount. Food allergy should be diagnosed by a qualified healthcare provider such as a GP; various diagnostic tests and procedures exist that clinicians can use.

Skin prick testing is one of the most reliable tests to identify food allergies. It involves placing small amounts of suspected allergen onto skin and poking with a needle until a reaction appears (redness or swelling). A blood test can measure levels of immunoglobulin E antibodies reacting with particular foods; high levels indicate sensitization.

At times, your doctor may suggest an oral food challenge as part of a treatment strategy for an allergy diagnosis. While potentially hazardous, such an experiment requires medical supervision. An oral food challenge involves eating gradually increasing quantities of a suspected allergen while monitoring for any reactions (hives or swelling of lips).

Some individuals may experience delayed allergic reactions to certain foods, such as milk, soy, wheat and other solid foods. This condition is known as Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) and may lead to severe gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea that require IV fluid therapy for treatment.

Treatment

Food allergies can only be managed effectively through avoidance. Discuss available medication with your doctor, such as antihistamines to relieve itching and swelling as well as bronchodilators that help you breathe easier during an allergic reaction, antihistamines that relieve itching and swelling as well as bronchodilators that allow easier breathing during severe reactions such as the EpiPen(r). You should also take steps to prevent food allergy reactions, including reading food labels carefully at restaurants or social gatherings; being wary of cross-reactivity which refers to allergic individuals’ tendencies to react against related foods like peanuts or tree nuts which have similar ingredients causing cross reactivity between allergic individuals who could trigger off reactions; always consult with a physician prior to starting treatment plan to minimize risks.

Food allergies often manifest themselves with skin-related reactions within minutes to hours after eating the offending food, from mild reactions like itching and hives, to more serious reactions like breathing issues and blood pressure drops. These types of reactions are known as IgE-mediated food allergies.

Food allergies may be diagnosed through skin or blood tests that detect antibodies against the allergen that you’re reacting to. Your physician may refer you to an allergist if symptoms persist, are severe, or you experience other health problems such as asthma or eczema. Although allergies often run in families and are more prevalent among children than adults, many people outgrow them over time.

Prevention

Food allergies are best prevented by avoiding the foods that cause them. Individuals should learn to read labels and ask questions when dining out or buying packaged food, and those experiencing symptoms of severe allergic reactions should keep injectable epinephrine (EpiPen or similar brand) on them at all times in case anaphylaxis attacks arise – an emergency reaction characterized by tightening airways, drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing or shock may develop suddenly if an injection is administered quickly enough.

Good news is that most children outgrow allergies to milk, eggs, wheat and soy; however, peanut and tree nut allergies tend to persist into adulthood and increase with age.

Food allergies can vary from mild to severe symptoms and the severity may change over time for an individual, making it crucial that medical professionals provide diagnosis and treatment of food allergies.

Researchers are exploring strategies to minimize food allergy reactions. Meanwhile, parents should continue exposing infants safely to allergens they are sensitive to so that their immune systems develop tolerance over time.